ifif 


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University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


Nah-nee-ta, 


A  Tale  of  the  Navajos. 


HE1TEY  E,  BEIffKEEHOPE, 

U.  S.  ARMY. 


WASHINGTON: 

I 


J.  H.  SOULE  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS. 

1886. 


COPYRIGHTED  1886. 
J.    H.   SOULE   &   CO., 


PREFACE. 


The  purpose  of  the  author  in  giving  this  labor  of  real  and 
fictitious  things  to  the  public  may  find  expression  better  in 
a  preface,  probably,  than  elsewhere. 

For  a  period  of  several  years  following  close  upon  the  war 
of  the  rebellion,  he  was  stationed  in  Western  New  Mexico 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  country  occupied  by  the 
Navajos,  and  became  during  that  time  largely  acquainted 
with  the  customs  and  habits  of  this  remarkable  people. 

Since  that  period  a  railroad  has  been  built  almost  upon  the 
Southern  line  of  their  reservation,  and  settlements  of  white 
people  have  been  made  upon  all  sides  about  them.  Influ- 
enced by  these  means,  many  of  their  time-honored  practices 
and  customs  have  been  largely  modified  or  entirely  aban- 
doned. 

A  new  people,  virtually,  has  made  its  appearance  in  place 
of  the  old  one,  with  entirely  different  views  of  life,  and  its 
duties.     A  people,  it  may  be  said,  without  practically  a  sin- 
•  gle  national  characteristic   yet  developed  in  this  new  transi- 
tional state. 

The  influences  thus  exerted  have  caused  the  young  men  to 
become  skeptical  of  the  teachings  of  their  elders,  and  at  the 
same  time  have  made  them  slow  to  adopt  the  habits  and  prac- 
tices of  strangers. 

The  customs  of  the  people  before  these  changes  occurred, 
will  now  only  be  preserved  by  means  of  unreliable  legends. 
Anticipating  this  result,  the  author  endeavored  during  his 
residence  near  them,    to   obtain  reliable  information   con- 
cerning their  ancient  customs  and  beliefs,  in  order  that  it 
might  be  preserved  as  a  possible  contribution  to  science. 
The  task  proved  to  be  a  difficult  one. 

Such  practices  and  evidences,  of  belief  as  fell  under  his 
personal  observation,  day  after  day,  for  long  periods  of  time, 
alone  seemed  well  substantiated.  Information  obtained 
through  those  who  were  able  to  converse  with  the  Navajos 


11  PEEFAOE. 

in  their  own  language,  was  in  most  cases  meager,  and  often 
contradictory.  The  Indians  seemed  unable  to  understand 
why  white  men  should  want  to  know  anything  about  their 
beliefs  or  practices.  They  usually  became  suspicious  when 
questioned,  and  replied  evasively  or  indefinitely. 

In  summing  up  all  that  had  been  gained  after  several 
years  had  elapsed,  the  author  found  that  but  few  facts  of 
interest  to  science  had  been  acquired,  which  were  sufficiently 
well  corroborated  to  warrant  the  publication  he  had  in  view. 

To  the  end,  however,  that  his  labors  might  not  be  entirely 
lost,  he  selected  those  best  substantiated  by  the  statements 
of  the  Navajos,  and  such  as  had  fallen  under  his  own  per- 
sonal observation,  as  the  basis  of  a  story  of  Navajo  life. 
These  may  be  summed  up  practically  as  follows : 

In  their  savage  state  the  Navajos  believed  in  the  existence 
of  a  Supreme  Being,  by  whom  the  first  Navajo  was  created. 
He  was  made  from  a  living  turkey,  which  alone  of  all  animate 
things  had  survived  a  long  period  of  rain  and  a  consequent 
flood. 

They  believed  that  both  men  and  women  possessed  souls, 
or  spirits,  but  that  the  souls  of  brave  warriors  alone  were 
immortal.  The  souls  of  the  women  went  into  live  fish  when 
they  died.  The  souls  of  the  warriors  entered  a  land  of  trial 
after  death,  inhabited  by  a  race  of  vicious  big-eared  pigmies, 
with  whom  they  had  frequent  battles  on  their  journey  to 
the  spirit-land.  The  souls  that  survived  this  journey  event- 
ually reached  the  shore  of  a  great  body  of  water  and  were 
taken  to  an  island  where  a  woman  reigned,  and  where  they 
lived  eternally  in  the  enjoyment  of  sensual  pleasures. 

The  souls  of  warriors  who  were  unable  to  stand  the  ordeal 
of  personal  encounters  with  the  pigmies,  perished  forever. 

They  attributed  bodily  disease  to  the  enmity  of  evil 
spirits. 

They  placed  implicit  faith,  apparently,  in  the  power  of 
their  medicine  men  to  influence  supernatural  things,  and  to 
make  curative  preparations  and  charms. 

They  practiced  cremation  of  the  dead. 

They  lived  usually  in  clans  or  large  families,  under  the 
leadership  of  sub-chiefs,  and  wandered  about  with  their 
flocks  of  sheep  and  herds  of  horses,  over  an  immense  region 


PREFACE.  Ill 

of  country,  a  considerable  portion  of  which  they  still  hold  as 
a  reservation. 

A  head  chief  controlled  all  ordinary  national  affairs,,  and 
a  war  chief  directed  those  pertaining  to  his  special  office. 

They  were  by  no  means  a  taciturn  people,  except  on  for- 
mal occasions,,  or  in  the  presence  of  strangers,  neither  were 
they  unusually  loquacious.  They  loved  to  talk,  however, 
and  their  councils,  at  which  public  speaking  was  permitted, 
were  always  very  popular. 

A  number  of  individuals  among  them  possessed  remark- 
able powers  of  eloquence.  At  a  council  held  shortly  after 
the  war  of  the  rebellion,  between  the  Commissioners  of  the 
United  States  and  the  chiefs  of  the  Nation,  with  the  view 
of  determining  upon  the  articles  of  a  treaty,  the  head  chief, 
Barbon-ce-to,  made  an  address  of  great  power  and  eloquence. 
Influenced  by  this  speech  concessions  were  granted  which 
the  Commissioners  had  previously  refused  to  admit.  A  few 
years  later,  the  war  chief,  Manu-le-to,  made  an  eloquent 
address  before  a  council  held  upon  some  public  business. 
A  single  paragraph  from  this  address  can  be  given.  A  dis- 
tinguished officer  of  the  army  was  present  on  this  occasion 
as  the  representative  of  the  Government,  and  Manu-le-to, 
referring  to  the  campaign  of  General  Carleton  against  the 
Navajos  in  1863-4,  said  to  the  interpreter  :  "Say  to  the 
one-armed  General  that  he  well  knows  what  then  occurred. 
The  war  came  upon  the  Navajos  like  a  great  strong  wind, 
against  which  no  man  could  stand.  It  blew  the  trees  down 
and  tore  the  grass  up  by  the  roots.  It  gathered  the  little 
stones  in  its  way,  and  hurled  them  before  it.  The  people 
breathed  of  the  wind  and  they  died." 

They  practiced  polygamy,  and  young  wives  were  obtained 
usually  by  purchase. 

They  were  inveterate  gamblers,  and  individuals  often  im- 
poverished themselves  at  play.  The  women  especially  seemed 
delighted  when  engaged  in  some  game  of  chance.  After 
losing  all  they  possessed,  they  not  infrequently  ventured 
their  personal  services  as  peons,  for  long  periods  of  time. 

They  possessed  large  quantities  of  silver,  and  many  of 
their  trappings  were  richly  ornamented  with  this  precious 
metal. 


IT  PREFACE. 

They  spent  much  of  their  time  on  horseback,  and  were 
confirmed  wanderers.  In  time  of  peace,  many  individuals 
made  their  homes  temporarily  with  the  Utes  and  Apaches, 
or  with  the  various  Pueblos  in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico. 

They  held  their  captives  from  the  neighboring  tribes,  from 
Mexico  and  the  settlements  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande, 
in  a  state  of  peonage. 

These  embrace  largely  the  results  of  the  labors  of  the  au- 
thor, so  far  as  they  apply  to  the  work  now  under  consider- 
ation. 

In  conclusion,  he  expresses  the  hope  that  the  story  of  Nah- 
nee-ta  may  not  be  found  without  interest  to  the  reader,  and 
that  whatever  influence  it  may  exert,  will  be  wholly  for 
good. 


NRH-NEE-m 


NSH-NEE-TR. 
I. 

From  one  of  the  great  canons  that  take  their  origin  near 
the  Eastern  limit  of  Arizona,  and  extend  Westward  through 
the  intervening  ranges  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  the 
great  unexplored  canon  of  the  Colorado,  Barbon-ce-to,  the 
head  chief  of  the  Xavajos,  had  sent  out  his  runners  to  the 
chiefs  and  the  principal  men  of  the  several  clans  of  the 
nation,  inviting  them  to  meet  him  in  council. 

The  place  designated  by  the  head  chief  for  the  assembly 
had  been  used  for  such  purpose,  according  to  tribal  traditions, 
from  time  immemorial.  Here,  during  all  the  known  history 
of  the  Navajos,  their  chiefs  and  principal  men  had  assembled 
on  all  extraordinary  occasions  to  take  council  with  each 
other,  and  devise  means  for  the  general  welfare  of  the  nation. 

The  walls  of  the  canon  rose  to  a  sublime  height,  approach- 
ing each  other  near  their  summit,  and  shutting  out  forever 
the  rays  of  the  sun.  At  the  base  of  the  canon,  the  walls  had 
been  worn  away  for  a  considerable  distance  by  the  action  of 
the  elements,  until  a  vast  amphitheatre  had  been  formed. 

This  great  vaulted  space,  ever  full  of  strange  echoes,  hid- 
den away  down  in  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth,  inaccessible  to 
man,  except  by  a  narrow  passage  at  the  opening  of  the  canon, 
was  the  sacred  council  chamber  of  the  JSTavajos. 

Barbon-ce-to  had  sent  out  his  runners  with  nil  the  for- 
malities of  time-honored  custom.  Each  runner  had  been 
called  separately  before  him,  and  instructed  to  proceed  with 
all  possible  haste,  to  cease  not  in  his  journey,  neither  to 
sleep  nor  to  eat  until  he  had  found  the  chief  of  a  designated 
clan,  and  had  placed  in  his  hands  the  token  of  his  mission. 
The  head  chief  then  took  from  his  girdle  or  his  necklace, 
some  valuable  and  well-known  personal  ornament,  a  precious 


A  NAH-NEE-TA. 

stone,  or  a  large,  rudely-carved  button  of  silver,  and  pre- 
sented it  to  the  runner. 

" Go  now  to  my  brother,"  he  said,  "and  deliver  into  his 
hands  this  token,  that  he  may  know  Barbon-ce-to  has  spo- 
ken, and  may  hasten  himself  to  return  it." 

The  runner,  proud  of  his  honorable  mission,  and  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  him,  hastened  from  the  presence  of  the 
head  chief,  and  was  soon  speeding  away  on  his  errand. 

The  most  powerful  clans  of  the  nation  dwelt  to  the  North, 
along  the  clear  waters  of  the  San  Juan,  and  the  Cariso. 
Other  clans  dwelt  to  the  Northwest,  on  the  verdant  banks 
of  the  Eio-de-Ohelly,  and  others  on  the  Northeast,  in  the 
well-watered  valleys  of  the  Chaco,  and  the  Rio-de-la-Plata. 
One  clan  only,  dwelt  in  the  South.  To  each  of  these  clans 
a  runner  had  been  sent. 

From  the  Northward,  the  chiefs  of  the  great  clans  would 
hasten  to  come  down,  in  answer  to  the  summons  of  the  head 
chief,  as  had  always  been  their  custom.  From  the  South- 
ward, no  one  was  expected,  unless  indeed  it  might  be  that 
the  young  chief  Mariano  would  accept  the  invitation  of 
Barbon-ce-to,  and  come  up  from  the  Rio  Puerco  to  represent 
his  clan  in  the  great  council. 

Mariano  was  the  youngest  of  all  the  chiefs,  and  his  clan 
was  the  smallest.  His  influence  in  the  council  would  not 
probably  be  felt,  and  his  presence,  or  his  absence,  was  re- 
garded as  a  matter  of  but  little  importance.  Whether  present 
or  absent,  he  would  necessarily  be  governed  by  the  decision 
of  the  head  chief  and  the  council,  whatever  it  might  be; 
or  his  people,  always  true  to  the  traditions  of  their  race, 
would  desert  him  and  join  other  clans. 

From  the  earliest  history  of  this  remarkable  people,  the 
tribe  had  been  divided  into  great  families  or  clans,  each 
governed  by  its  own  chief  and  principal  men.  The  suprem- 


NAH-tfEE-TA.  3 

acy  of  a  head  chief,,  himself  the  chief  of  one  of  the  clans, 
was  acknowledged,  and  the  decisions  of  the  great  council, 
composed  of  the  chiefs  and  the  principal  men,  were  obeyed 
by  virtue  of  the  popular  will  and  the  force  of  traditions. 

The  chiefs  were  all  men  who  had  distinguished  themselves 
previous  to  their  selection,  by  their  bravery  in  battle,  by  the 
accumulation  of  large  numbers  of  horses  and  sheep,  and  by 
the  wisdom  of  their  counsel.  The  road  to  preferment  was 
open  to  every  man  of  the  tribe. 

The  ISTavajos  possessed  great  herds  and  flocks,  and  were 
necessarily  nomadic.  At  times,  therefore,  it  happened  when 
a  clan  had  become  large,  that  difficulty  was  experienced  in 
finding  sufficient  pasturage  for  the  animals,  and  separation 
became  a  positive  necessity.  In  such  case  a  colony  went  off 
under  the  leadership  of  some  prominent  member  of  the 
clan. 

The  success  of  the  enterprise  depended  largely  upon  the 
sagacity  and  wisdom  of  the  leader.  Frequently  dissatisfac- 
tion arose  and  open  desertions  occurred,  one  after  another, 
until  the  colony  became  so  reduced  in  its  numbers  that  the 
would-be  chief  was  compelled  in  the  end  to  surrender  his 
honors  and  return  to  his  clan  and  his  former  more  humble 
position.  A  considerable  time,  therefore,  was  allowed  to 
elapse  before  the  chief  of  a  newly  organized  clan  was  duly 
recognized  by  the  head  chief,  and  by  common  consent. 

Mariano  had  once  been  the  leader  of  an  expedition  against 
the  Mescalaro  Apaches  in  the  valley  of  the  Tulerosa,  and 
had  returned  to  his  tribe  with  a  great  herd  of  horses,  and 
many  pack  animals  ladened  with  captured  blankets  and 
robes.  He  had  gone  pn  this  expedition  with  the  consent  of 
the  chief  of  his  clan,  taking  with  him  a  small  party  of  war- 
riors. This  unusually  successful  adventure  had  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  people,  and  eventually  induced  his 


4  NAH-XEE-TA. 

selection  as  the  leader  of  a  colony.  He  rapidly  thereafter 
drew  about  him  a  number  of  young  men  from  his  former 
clan,  as  well  as  from  others,  until  he  stood  now  at  the  head 
of  about  one  hundred  braves. 

Near  the  close  of  a  beautiful  autumn  day,  one  of  the  run- 
ners despatched  by  the  head  chief,  arrived  at  the  Rio  Puerco, 
and  without  stopping  to  slake  the  thirst  of  himself  or  his 
horse,  galloped  furiously  down  its  bank  toward  the  encamp- 
ment of  the  young  chief.  On  arriving  at  the  outskirts  of 
the  encampment,  he  dismounted  from  his  horse  in  token  of 
submission  to  the  authority  of  the  chief  into  whose  juris- 
diction he  had  come,  and  proceeded  on  foot,  leading  his 
weary  beast  after  him. 

As  the  runner  passed  the  temporary  summer  houses  of  the 
different  families  of  the  clan,  looking  to  the  right  and  the 
left  for  some  sign  to  guide  him  to  the  ho-gan  of  the  chief, 
a  woman,  attracted  by  the  tramping  of  his  horse  as  he  passed 
by  her  lodge,  made  her  appearance  at  its  entrance.  She 
gazed  for  a  moment  at  the  runner  and  then  in  a  tone  of 
mingled  pleasure  and  surprise,  exclaimed  quickly. 

"Me-ra  !  me-ra  !  It  is  To-me.  Indeed  it  is.  Welcome, 
To-me." 

The  runner's  face  lighted  up  with  a  smile,  but  he  merely 
bowed  his  head  in  reply.  The  woman  had  already  started 
towards  him,  but  as  To-me  still  continued  on  his  way  with- 
out giving  her  any  further  attention,  she  stopped  and  looked 
after  him,  greatly  perplexed. 

"Ah  I"  she  said  in  a  subdued,  half-inquiring  tone,  "It 
must  be  that  To-me  has  words  in  his  mouth  for  the  chief, 
and  cannot  speak  to  Po-lone." 

The  runner  bowed  his  head  and  walked  steadily  on. 

"Then  To-me  seeks  for  the  ho-gan  of  Mariano?"  asked 
the  woman. 


NAH-NEE-TA.  5 

Again  the  runner  nodded  his  head  in  reply. 

"To-me  must  turn  his  face  to  the  sun  for  three  nights  of 
the  longest  arrow  in  his  quiver,  and  then  he  will  find  the 
young  chief  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  then/'  continued 
the  woman,  "when  To-me  has  done  his  errand,  he  must  turn 
quickly  back.  The  fire  will  soon  burn,  and  ground  corn 
and  fresh  meat  and  fine  salt  will  be  ready,  that  To-me  may 
eat." 

The  runner  again  bowed  his  head,  and  hastened  in  the 
direction  indicated  by  the  woman. 

The  young  chief  had  been  aware  of  the  approach  of  the 
runner  for  at  least  an  hour  before  his  arrival.  One  of  his 
own  vigilant  warriors  had  hastened  to  report  that  a  horse- 
man was  "riding  rapidly  down  from  the  North,  straight  as 
the  wind  blows  over  the  plain,  and  as  a  man  with  the  words 
of  the  head  chief  in  his  mouth/5 

"He  is  a  runner/'  said  the  chief.     "Let  him  alone/' 

Mariano  had  received  the  information  with  the  character- 
istic indifference  of  his  race,  but  so  soon  as  the  warrior  was 
gone,  he  sprang  to  his  feet  from  the  robe  on  which  he  sat 
and  paced  hastily  back  and  forth  in  front  of  his  ho-gan. 

There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  personal  appearance 
of  the  chief,  as  he  thus  moved  impetuously  to  and  fro.  He 
was  tall  and  slender  in  form,  and  lacked  the  vigordus  pro- 
portions of  limb  and  of  chest,  common  to  his  people.  But 
there  was  something  magnetic  in  his  easy,  graceful  manner, 
something  fascinating  in  the  steady  gaze  of  his  brilliant  black 
eyes,  and  something  pleasing  in  the  musical  intonations  of 
his  voice,  that  captivated  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him. 

He  had  been  brave  and  victorious  in  battle,  successful  in 
the  management  of  his  flocks,  and  his  forays,  and  had  proven 
himself  a  wise  counselor.  By  these  worthy  deeds,  and  his 
magnetic  influence  he  had  won  the  full  confidence  and  ad- 


0  KAH-^EE-TA. 

miration  of  his  people,  and  now  in  the  prime  of  his  young 
manhood,  he  had  reached  the  goal  of  a  warrior's  most  lofty 
aspiration,  the  chieftainship  of  a  clan  of  his  nation. 

Mariano  possessed  a  quality,  almost  entirely  unknown 
among  his  people.  He  was  inordinately  ambitious.  From 
the  day  when  his  father  had  for  the  first  time  placed  in  his 
hands  a  strong  bow,  such  as  warriors  use,  and  hung  a  quiver 
of  barbed  arrows  upon  his  back  he  had  aspired  to  excel  and 
to  control.  No  one  thereafter,  among  all  his  youthful  com- 
panions, displayed  greater  daring  in  the  defence  of  the  flocks 
against  the  wild  beasts  from  the  mountains;  and  none 
learned  so  well  how  to  send  the  quivering  arrow,  or  hurl  the 
deadly  tomahawk  and  knife. 

In  savage  life,  boyhood  plays  find  their  origin  in  stories 
of  the  war-path  and  the  chase.  Mariano  found  great  delight 
in  these  plays,  and  was  never  more  happy  than  when,  at  the 
head  of  his  companions,  engaged  in  some  mimic  battle  or 
imaginary  chase. 

During  all  the  days  of  his  boyhood  his  leadership  was 
tacitly  acknowledged.  But  when  those  days  were  passed, 
and  he  had  entered  upon  the  real  duties  of  life,  he  found 
that  his  leadership  had  suddenly  ended.  The  road  to  royal 
honors  lay  open  before  him,  but  heavily  burdened  with  tra- 
ditions ^nd  the  customs  of  his  people.  He  found  able  leaders 
of  great  skill  and  experience  already  in  existence,  to  man- 
age and  control,  and  himself  but  an  apprentice  among  the  war- 
riors of  his  clan.  He  submitted  with  manifest  impatience 
to  this  seeming  degradation,  and  rarely  accompanied  his 
companions  on  the  war-path  or  the  chase. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  he  never  ceased  his  endeavors 
to  accomplish  his  preferment.  In  every  instance  where  in- 
dividual exertion  afforded  opportunity,  he  attempted  to 
excel. 


NAH-NBE-TA.  7 

No  hunter  in  the  nation  ever  climbed  higher  mountains, 
in  following  the  chase,  and  none  was  ever, so  successful. 

No  warrior  ever  spake  with  more  eloquence  in  the  coun- 
cils of  his  clan,  or  bore  himself  always  more  courtly. 

No  one  in  all  the  nation  possessed  richer  ornaments,  or 
rode  better  steed,  and  no  one  ever  carried  more  valuable 
arms. 

To  these  great  advantages,  was  added  at  last,  most  nota- 
ble success  in  foray  and  battle.  The  people  hastened  then 
to  crown  his  achievements  with  the  leadership  he  coveted, 
and  had  thus  fairly  won. 

He  paced  now  impatiently  back  and  forth  in  front  of  his 
lodge,  gazing  earnestly  at  times  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  runner  was  approaching. 

"It  is  well,"  he  murmured  slowly,  "The  great  head  chief 
is  wise  to  send  a  runner  to  Mariano  .with  a  token  in  his 
hand." 

The  runner  soon  made  his  appearance,  and  proceeding 
directly  to  the  ho-gan  of  the  chief,  placed  the  token  in  his 
hand. 

"Me-ra  \"  he  said  quickly,  "To-me  comes  from  the  great 
council  chamber  of  the  nation.  The  head  chief  Barbon- 
ce-to  has  spoken/' 

"To-me  is  welcome,"  said  the  chief.  "The  words  of 
the  head  chief  are  all  good,  and  Mariano  will  hasten  to  the 
great  council  chamber,  with  the  principal  men  of  his  clan." 

"To-me  has  no  more  words  in  his  mouth,"  said  the  run- 
ner. ''His  errand  is  done/' 

"Then  To-me  will  loosen  his  horse  on  the  rich  grass  a 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  return  to  eat  meat  in  the  ho-gan 
of  Mariano." 

"Nay,"  replied  the  runner.  "The  woman  Po-lone  bade 
To-me  make  haste  to  eat  meat  and  ground  corn  in  her  lodge." 


8  XAH-NEE-TA. 

"Then  To-me  stopped  in  his  journey  to  talk  with  a 
woman/'  said  the  chief,  haughtily. 

"Nay,  the  woman  talked  only.  To-me  was  silent,  and 
stopped  not  in  his  journey,"  replied  the  runner.  "To-me 
comes  from  the  great  clan  of  the  head  chief.  No  one  in 
the  South  can  teach  him  what  he  should  do." 

"Hist!"  exclaimed  the  chief  angrily,  "To-me  has  the 
tongue  of  a  squaw  in  his  head.  He  can  go.  Mariano  has 
spoken." 

The  runner  gathered  his  blanket  about  him,  and  moved 
hurriedly  away  in  the  direction  from  which  he  had  come. 

He  was  a  tall,  athletic  fellow,  a  perfect  picture  of  health 
and  of  strength.  His  features  were  unusually  regular  and 
comely,  and  his  carriage  was  graceful  and  erect. 

Mariano  watched  him  closely  as  he  walked  rapidly  away, 
and  then  turning  about  he  murmured  to  himself: 

"  To-me  is  handsome  and  brave.  The  woman  is  not  wise 
to  bid  him  come  to  her  lodge." 

The  runner  proceeded  a  short  distance,  and  then  stopping 
abruptly,  turned  towards  the  lodge  of  the  chief.  His  man- 
ner was  defiant  and  haughty,  and  his  face  bore  a  resolute  ex- 
pression. To-me  was  very  angry,  and  in  a  dangerous  mood. 
His  better  judgment,  however,  came  directly  to  his  assist- 
ance, and  turning  again  in  his  path  he  walked  on. 

"  The  last  words  of  the  young  chief  are  hot,"  he  mur- 
mured. "  They  make  a  big  fire  in  the  ears  of  To-me,  and 
burn  up  all  the  good  words  he  has  spoken." 

The  woman  Po-lone  stood  at  the  entrance  of  her  ho-gan, 
and  when  he  came  near,  she  hastened  forward  to  bid  him 
welcome  once  more. 

"And  why  does  To-me  come  now  to  the  Puerco  ?"  asked 
Po-lone,  after  they  had  seated  themselves  on  robes  spread 
son  the  ground  in  her  lodge. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  9 

"To  carry  a  token  from  the  head  chief  to  Mariano,  the 
dog,"  said  the  runner  savagely,  as  he  suddenly  recalled  the 
"hot  words"  of  the  chief. 

"Me-ra !"  cried  the  woman.  "Every  thorn  on  the  cac- 
tus, and  every  blade  of  the  grass,  has  ears  that  can  hear. 
To-me  must  eat  his  hot  words." 

"Po-lone  speaks  wisely,"  said  To-me. 

"And  were  other  runners  sent  out?"  asked  the  woman. 

"Yes,  a  runner  was  sent  to  the  chief  of  every  clan  of  the 
nation,  with  a  token  in  his  hand.  Barbon-ce-to  has  spo- 
ken." 

"The  words  of  the  head  chief  are  good,"  said  the  wo- 
man. "Mariano  will  go  up,  and  take  his  place  in  the  coun- 
cil among  the  chiefs  of  the  nation?" 

"Yes,  the  young  chief  will  go  up  with  the  principal 
men  of  his  clan,"  replied  the  runner.  "Will  Po-lone  ride 
with  the  chief  ?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered  quickly.  "Po-lone  will  go  up  with 
the  chief  and  hear  him  talk  in  the  great  council." 

The  runner  remained  silent. 

"To-me  has  no  words  in  his  mouth?"  said  the  woman, 
inquiringly. 

"Nay,"  he  replied.  "The  woman  spake  well,  and  To-me 
has  eaten  his  words/'* 

"  Po-lone  is  wise,  sometimes,"  she  said  smiling.  "  Me-ra  ! 
To-me.  Po-lone  will  go  up  to  the  council,  as  one  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  clan." 

She  rubbed  her  hands  briskly  together,  and  indulged  in 
a  suppressed  laugh.  To-me  had  sat  the  meanwhile  looking 
gravely  at  the  woman,  and  nursing  his  grievance,  but  her 
words  and  her  laugh  drove  his  evil  thoughts  all  away,  and  a 
broad  smile  at  last  crept  over  his  face. 

The  sun  had  already  gone  down  behind  the  tops  of  the 


10  NAH-HEE-TA. 

mountains,  and  the  shadows  were  rapidly  gathering.  Within 
the  lodge,  the  woman  and  her  guest  sat  almost  in  darkness. 
A  nickering  flame  from  some  dying  embers  on  the  fire 
between  them,  occasionally  cast  a  feeble  light  in  the  lodge, 
barely  sufficient  to  reveal  their  motionless  forms  to  each 
other. 

"  There  is  some  one  at  the  door/'  said  To-me,  his  quick 
ear  catching  the  faint  echo  of  a  footstep. 

"Yea,"  said  Po-lone,  glancing  hastily  at  the  entrance. 
"It  is  iSTah-nee-ta.  She  brings  sticks  for  the  fire." 

"To-me  has  heard  the  birds  sing  of  the  beautiful  JSTah-nee- 
ta,  the  daughter  of  the  woman  Po-lone,"  said  the  runner. 

As  he  spake,  the  girl  moved  across  the  entrance  of,  the 
lodge,  and  stood  fairly  in  the  faint  light  yet  reflected  from 
the  sky.  To-me  could  see  plainly  that  the  birds  had  sung  a 
true  song  in  his  ears.  The  daughter  of  Po-lone  was  beauti- 
ful in  features  and  form.  Strong,  healthful  and  lithesome, 
she  found  favor  at  once  in  the  eyes  of  the  young  man,  as  his 
ideal  type  of  womanly  perfection. 

"Po-lone,"  cried  the  girl  petulantly,  as  she  entered  the 
lodge,  "All  the  wood  has  been  burned.  Not  a  stick  more 
can  be  found." 

"There  is  plenty  on  the  mountain,"  said  the  mother. 

"Yea,  but  the  medicine  man  will  turn  the  dwarf  into  a 
white  wolf,  if  he  goes  to  the  mountain." 

"Then  the  brave  To-me  will  capture  him  for  his  robe," 
said  the  woman,  smiling  upon  her  guest  as  she  spake. 

The  dwarf  was  a  poor  half-witted  Mexican  captive,  whom 
Po-lone  had  purchased  from  his  captor  a  few  years  before, 
and  now  held  in  peonage.  He  came  into  the  lodge,  and 
threw  down  a  few  pieces  of  roots  and  of  bark  he  had  gath- 
ered, and  then  sat  down  upon  them  to  prevent  them  from 
being  used. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  11 

"die-no  will  put  some  sticks  on  the  fire/'  said  the  wo- 
man, peremptorily.  "To-me  must  have  his  supper." 

"Eh  I"  exclaimed  the  dwarf,  springing  at  once  to  his  feet, 
and  staring  fixedly  for  a  moment  at  the  runner,  whom  he 
now,  for  the  first  time  observed. 

"To-me  wants  his  supper,"  he  murmured  at  last,  in  a  tone 
of  complaint,  "and  all  the  wood  must  be  burned." 

Taking  a  few  sticks  from  his  precious  store,  he  laid  them 
on  the  embers  in  the  centre  of  the  lodge.  A  bright  blaze 
soon  sprung  up,  and  quickly  revealed  the  dusky  faces  of  the 
occupants  of  the  hut. 

To-me  sat  upright  on  the  robe,  and  watched  the  fire  as  it 
burned.  Occasionally  he  glanced  surreptitiously  at  the  girl 
who  stood  near  him,  the  meantime  gazing  intently  in  his 
face.  Che-no  hastened  to  her  side  when  he  had  completed 
his  work,  and  stared  also  at  the  stranger. 

"Po-lone  has  spoken  often  of  the  brave  runner  To-me," 
said  the  girl. 

The  young  warrior  glanced  hurriedly  at  her  face  as  she 
spoke,  and  then  dropping  his  eyes  to  the  ground,  reached 
down  before  him  and  twisted  vigorously  at  the  fur  of  the 
robe  on  which  he  sat,  but  he  made  no  reply. 

"  Why  do  the  people  call  the  warrior  brave?"  persisted  the 
girl.  "  Is  his  heart  very  strong  ?" 

To-me  twisted  more  vigorously  at  the  robe  than  before, 
but  not  a  word  could  he  find  to  reply. 

"  To-me  has  no  words  in  his  mouth,"  said  the  girl  despair- 
ingly. 

"His  heart  is  not  strong,"  added  the  dwarf.  "He  wants 
his  supper  before  he  can  talk." 

To-me  started  instantly  to  his  feet,  and  sprung  towards  the 
dwarf.  With  a  great  cry  of  terror  Che-no  evaded  the  run- 
ner, and  fled  from  the  lodge. 


12  NAH-^EE-TA. 

"Me-ra!  Me-ra!"  cried  the  woman.  "  The  peon  has  but 
the  half  of  a  head.  To-me  must  let  him  alone/' 

The  runner  came  back  and  resumed  his  seat  on  his  robe, 
while  Nah-nee-ta  ran  out  of  the  hut  to  look  for  the  dwarf. 
She  came  back  directly  leading  the  terrified  peon  by  the 
hand/  and  shaking  her  head  menacingly  at  To-me. 

Che-no  seated  himself  near  the  door,  and  the  girl  sat  down 
at  length  on  the  robe. 

((  To-me  will  not  harm  the  peon  ?"  she  asked. 

"Nay,"  said  To-me,  for  the  first  time  finding  "words  in 
his  mouth."  "Nay,"  and  then  he  added  in  a  low  tone, 
"  The  voice  of  Nah-nee-ta  sounds  sweet  in  the  ears  of  To- 
me." 

The  girl  gazed  earnestly  in  his  face  for  an  instant  as 
though  she  feared  she  had  not  heard  him  aright,  and  then 
hastily  cast  her  eyes  on  the  ground.  They  were  the  first 
gentle  words  she  ever  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  any  human 
being,  except  possibly  from  the  lips  of  her  mother  in  her 
childhood,  and  they  awakened  at  once  in  her  heart  a  desire 
to  make  a  kindly  response.  But  before  she  could  reply,  a 
great  confusion  came  upon  her,  and  she  became  undecided 
what  to  do  or  to  say.  She  reached  forward  presently  and 
began  to  twist  at  the  fur  of  the  robe,  while  the  stout-hearted 
To-me  employed  himself  unconsciously  the  meantime  in  the 
same  occupation. 

The  girl  finally  lifted  her  eyes  from  the  ground,  and 
glanced  at  the  runner.  He  had  ceased  to  twist  at  the  robe, 
and  sat  gazing  in  her  face,  as  if  waiting  for  an  answer. 

"The  words  of  To-me  are  all  good,"  she  said  softly. 

The  runner  reached  forward  as  soon  as  she  had  spoken, 
and  seizing  her  hand,  pressed  it  vigorously  in  his  own. 

Such  a  thing  had  never  before  happened  in  all  the  history 
of  the  nation.  There  never  before  had  been  such  a  flagrant 


NAH-NEE-TA.  13 

violation  of  the  known  customs  of  the  tribe.  The  girl  was 
speechless  with  amazement.  Recovering  herself  almost  in- 
stantly, however,  she  shrieked  involuntarily,  "To-me!" 

"What  new  trouble  is  there  now  ?"  exclaimed  the  woman 
quite  sharply,  turning  around  from  her  work. 

The  girl  rubbed  her  hands  vigorously  together  and  at- 
tempted to  laugh. 

"To-me  will  twist  all  the  fur  from  the  robe,"  she  said, 
"if  some  one  don't  stop  him." 

"Che-no  will,"  said  the  dwarf,  quickly  ;  but  the  words 
had  no  sooner  escaped  him,  than,  fearing  he  had  said  some- 
thing again  that  was  wrong,  he  glanced  hurriedly  at  the 
young  warrior,  and  then  at  the  door  of  the  lodge,  as  if  to 
assure  himself  that  the  way  of  escape  was  still  open. 

"Che-no  need  not  fear,"  said  the  runner,  observing  the 
uneasy  movements  of  the  dwarf.  "His  words  are  all  good, 
and  To-me  is  his  friend." 


II. 

It  was  fortunate  indeed  for  To-me  that  Po-lone  had  not 
witnessed  the  act  of  affection,  nor  heard  the  "soft  words  " 
of  her  guest.  Had  she  done  so,  her  wrath  would  have 
known  no  bounds,  and  To-me's  reputation  as  a  valiant, 
strong-hearted  warrior  would  have  suffered. 

As  a  people,  the  Navajos  exacted  a  rigid  adherence  to  all 
their  traditional  customs.  A  demonstration  of  affection  be- 
tween adults  had  always  been  regarded  as  an  indication  of 
weakness,  and  an  acknowledgement  of  great  inferiority. 
Parents  caressed  their  children  in  their  infancy,  and  spoke 
to  them  in  tones  of  affection,  and  with  words  of  endearment. 
But,  so  soon  as  the  child  was  able  to  go  to  the  pastures  with 
the  sheep,  or  to  gather  sticks  for  the  fire,  loving  words  and 
affectionate  demonstrations  all  ceased.  Affection,  doubt- 
less, still  existed,  but  the  emotions  were  controlled  and  con- 
cealed. The  common  observances  of  the  nation  were  deemed 
worthy  of  first  consideration,  and  invariably  took  precedence 
of  all  acts  that  affection  might  prompt. 

But  a  deeper  motive  than  that  induced  by  a  blind  obe- 
dience to  the  traditions  of  her  people,  or  by  her  affection  for 
her  child,  actuated  the  woman,  and  she  gladly  accepted  the 
observance  of  these  traditions  as  inevitable,  to  excuse  the 
act  she  intended.  The  customs  of  the  nation  had  long  since 
established  a  mother's  proprietary  right  in  the  person  of  her 
maiden  daughters,  and  the  privilege  to  dispose  of  them  by 
sale,  if  she  desired. 

Po-lone  often  had  made  mental  reckoning  of  the  number 
of  horses,  or  the  broad  buttons  of  silver  which  the  beautiful 
Nah-nee-ta  would  bring,  to  increase  the  size  of  her  herd,  or 
the  number  of  her  ornaments.  It  was,  therefore,  simply 


HAH-NEE-TA.  15 

unpardonable  that  the  honored  guest  of  the  lodge,  should 
by  any  thoughtless  act  or  inconsiderate  speech,  depreciate 
the  commercial  value  of  the  daughter. 

But  Po-lone,  in  most  blissful  ignorance  of  all  that  had 
passed,  busied  herself  with  her  work,  and  eventually  spread 
To-me' s  supper  before  him  and  invited  him  to  eat. 

When  the  runner  had  devoured  the  last  morsel  of  the 
bountiful  supply  set  before  him,  he  turned  lazily  to  the 
woman,  and  with  an  air  of  satisfaction  rubbed  his  hands 
slowly  together. 

"To-me  is  happy, "  he  said,  languidly. 

"And  why  is  To-me  happy  ?"  she  asked. 

"The  meat  and  the  corn  was  very  good,"  he  replied. 

"To-me  is  easily  made  happ}^"  said  the  woman. 

"And  the  heart  of  the  head  chief  is  happy,"  he  continued, 
abstractedly,  as  though  conversing  with  himself. 

"And  why  is  the  heart  of  the  head  chief  happy?"  asked 
the  woman. 

"He  has  always  good  meat  and  good  corn,"  said  To-me, 
"and  he  has  brought  a  new  squaw  to  his  lodge.  She  was 
the  most  beautiful  maiden  in  the  clan.  He  gave  two  horses 
for  the  squaw." 

"Two  horses  !"  cried  the  woman,  in  a  tone  of  surprise: 
"Two  horses  !  A  choice  maiden  for  two  horses  !  It  is  im- 
possible !" 

"To-me  has  but  one  tongue  in  his  head,"  said  the  runner 
decidedly.  "The  head  chief  gave  two  horses  for  the  squaw." 

"Is  she  strong?"  asked  the  woman,  "and  willing  to 
work  ?" 

"Yea,  strong,"  replied  To-me,  "  and  always  willing  to 
work.  No  squaw  in  the  nation  knows  better  than  she  how 
to  cook  meat  and  corn.  The  head  chief  will  have  no  other 
squaw  now,  to  smooth  out  his  robe  or  saddle  his  horse." 


16  KAH-NEE-TA. 

"Me-ra!"  exclaimed  Po-lone,  earnestly.  "The  head 
chief  did  not  give  enough  for  the  maiden ." 

"Two  horses  are  enough  for  a  maiden/'  said  To-me." 

"Nay,  not  enough/'  said  the  woman.  "Nah-nee-ta  shall 
never  go  for  two  horses." 

"She  might  go  for  none/''  said  To-me. 

"Go  for  none  ! "  cried  the  woman  excitedly.  "The  words 
of  To-me  are  like  the  words  of  a  dream.  Is  To-me  awake  ?" 

"Yea,  To-me  is  awake/'  he  replied,  "and  his  words  are  all 
good.  To-me  is  too  yousg  yet  to  dream.  The  Great  Spirit 
whispers  only  in  the  ears  of  the  old  men  while  they  sleep/' 

"He  once  whispered  some  words  in  the  ear  of  poor  Che- 
no,"  said  the  dwarf. 

"Tonto  !  "  cried  the  girl,  "keep  quiet.  It  was  nothing 
but  a  bug,  that  buzzed  in  the  ear  of  the  peon." 

"He  spake  once  to  an  old  man  in.  the  clan  of  the  head 
chief,"  continued  To-me,  "while  he  lay  quietly  sleeping  on 
his  robes." 

"And  what  words  did  the  Great  Spirit  speak  in  the  ears  of 
the  old  man  ?"  asked  the  woman. 

"The  Great  Spirit  came  to  his  lodge,  and  whispered  in  his 
ears,"  said  To-me,  "and  the  old  man  awakened  and  listened, 
and  waited,  until  the  Great  Spirit  had  gone.  Then  evil 
spirits  came  quickly,  and  tried  to  Avhisper  new  words  in  his 
ears  and  tried  to  steal  the  good  words  away,  the  Great  Spirit 
had  spoken.  But  the  old  man  would  not  listen  to  the  words 
of  the  evil  spirits.  He  got  up  from  his  robes,  and  put  sticks 
on  his  fire,  and  made  a  great  light,  to  drive  the  evil  spirits 
away.  All  night  long  the  old  man  walked  about  in  his  ho- 
gan,  and  never  lay  down,  nor  slept  any  more  until  the  sun 
was  up  high  above  the  plain.  Then  he  went  out  of  his  lodge, 
and  called  his  people  about  him,  and  told  them  the  words 
that  the  Great  Spirit  had  spoken. 


NAH-NEE-TA.  17 

"  The  medicine  men  of  the  clan,  came  quickly  to  his 
lodge,  and  beat  on  their  drums,  chanted  good  words  while 
he  talked,  and  kept  the  evil  spirits  away.  When  the  old 
man  had  spoken,  the  people  went  away  to  their  ho-gans,  and 
he  lay  down  again  on  his  robe  and  soon  fell  asleep. 

"  The  medicine  men  sat  down  in  his  lodge,  and  put  sticks 
on  the  fire,  and  made  a  great  light,  and  beat  on  their  drums, 
and  chanted  good  words,  all  the  night  long.  And  when 
the  second  day  came,  the  same  words  were  in  the  mouth  of 
the  old  man  that  he  had  spoken  at  first.  And  he  lay  down 
again  on  his  robes,  when  the  night  had  come  on,  and  slept 
while  the  medicine  men  kept  the  evil  spirits  away.  And  on  the 
third  day,  the  old  man  again  spoke,  and  the  words  in  his 
mouth  were  the  same  as  before. 

"And  after  a  time  the  old  man  sickened  and  died,  and 
was  burned  in  his  lodge,  and  the  words  that  the  Great  Spirit 
had  whispered  in  his  ears  were  soon  forgotten  by  the  people. 
But  the  wise  medicine  men  treasured  them  up  in  their 
hearts,  and  have  remembered  them  all." 

"Have  the  medicine  men  spoken  to  To-me  ?"  inquired 
the  woman. 

"The  medicine  men  have  few  words  in  their  mouths," 
said  To-me,  "except  for  those  who  place  buttons  of  silver  in 
their  hands,  or  horses  in  their  herds/'  , 

"Then  why  has  To-me  spoken  of  them  ?" 

"Po-lone  is  impatient/'  said  the  runner.  "To-me  once 
saved  the  life  of  a  great  medicine  man,  and  asked  no  reward. 
Then  the  medicine  man .  found  words  in  his  mouth,  and 
spake  to  To-me.  He  said  not  that  the  words  which  he  spake 
were  the  words  of  the  Great  Spirit,  or  that  they  were  his  own. 
Who  knows  ?  They  are  from  the  mouth  of  a  medicine  man, 
and  they  are  every  one  good. 

"  'The  Navajo  Nation  is  a  great  nation/  he  said,   'the 


18  HAH-NEE-TA. 

people  are  liappy  and  have  large  flocks  of  sheep  and  great 
herds  of  horses.  The  medicine  men  are  wise,  and  have 
heard  the  words  which  the  Great  Spirit  has  spoken.  The 
Navajos  came  from  a  small  thing  at  first,  but  now  they 
have  grown  very  great.  Let  all  the  people  listen  to  the 
words  of  the  medicine  men. 

"'The  rain  fell  on  the  land,  and  filled  all  the  valleys  with 
water,  even  to  the  tops  of  the  mountains.  On  the  highest 
peak  sat  the  only  living  thing.  A  turkey  sat  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  Then  the  waters  disappeared  and  the  turkey 
was  alone. 

"'The  Great  Spirit  came  down  on  the  mountain,  and  saw 
the  g.-eat  desolation.  Then  the  Great  Spirit  was  sorry,  and 
He  changed  the  turkey  into  the  form  of  a  man.  And  because 
of  His  sorrow,  He  made  the  man  perfect.  He  was  pleased 
with  His  work  and  called  the  man  Navajo — the  best.  The 
turkey  is  sacred.  Let  him  live  on  the  mountains  in  peace. 

"'The  Great  Spirit  sent  a  woman  tb  the  man.  Their 
children  fill  the  valleys,  and  are  rich/ 

"Then  the  medicine  man  cast  his  eyes  on  the  ground  and 
was  silent/' 

"It  may  be  that  he  was  hungry,"  said  the  the  dwarf. 

"Tonto  I"  cried  the  girl,  stamping  her  foot  angrily  on  the 
ground."  "Will  the  fool  never  be  quiet  ?" 

"The  medicine  man  remained  silent  for  along  time," 
continued  To-me,  "and  his  head  was  bowed  down  near  the 
earth.  At  last  he  looked  up,  and  spake  once  again. 

"'The  Navajos  have  many  customs/  he  said,  'and  they 
are  all  very  good,  save  one.  They  were  made  for  the  Navajos 
and  suit  all  their  wants.  They  are  like  moccasins  made  for 
the  feet  of  a  youth.  They  hold  his  feet  tight,  when  he  has 
grown  to  be  old. 

" '  One  custom  has  come  into  the  nation  from  its  enemies. 
It  is  not  good. 


HAH-NEE-TA.  19 

'  It  is  not  good  that  maidens  should  be  sold.  It  is  not 
good  that  a  warrior  should  buy  a  squaw.  The  children  of  a 
bought-woman  are  fatherless.  The  squaws  become  mothers 
for  a  price/ 

((  The  medicine  man  again  bowed  his  head  and  was  silent. 
There  were  no  more  words  in  his  mouth/' 

The  runner  turned  to  the  woman  when  he  had  concluded, 
and  quietly  said: 

"  Were  not  the  words  of  the  medicine  man  good  ?" 

"  Yea,  the  words  of  the  medicine  man  were  all  good/'  she 
replied. 

"  Po-lone  will  hearken  to  the  words  of  the  medicine  man?" 
he  asked. 

"  The  customs  of  the  Nation  bind  every  one,  with  thongs 
which  cannot  be  broken/'  said  Po-lone.  "Come  they  from  evil 
or  from  good,  maidens  must  be  sold,  and  the  warriors  must 
buy  them."  And  then  she  added  testily,  as  if  to  reassert  her 
authority,  which  she  feared  the  words  of  To-me  had  tended 
somewhat  to  weaken,  "  Nah-nee-ta  will  go  to  her  robes." 

The  dwarf  immediately  recognized  the  ill  mood  of  his 
mistress,  and  hastily  spreading  a  sheep  skin  across  the  en- 
trance to  the  lodge,  waited  not  for  a  bidding,  but  lay  down 
quickly,  and  covered  himself  with  a  blanket. 

The  girl  went  slowly  to  a  corner  of  the  lodge,  and  lay 
down  on  her  bed. 

To-me  himself,  chilled  to  silence  by  the  manner  of  his 
hostess,  speedily  stretched  himself  upon  the  robe  on  which 
he  sat,  and  turning  his  face  from  the  fire,  covered  himself 
with  his  blanket. 

Perfect  silence  now  reigned  in  the  lodge,  and  all  its  in- 
mates, except  Po-lone,  were  soon  lost  in  deep  slumber. 

The  period  is  by  no  means  yet  remote,  when  the  account 


20  NAH-NEE-TA. 

of  the  origin  of  the  Navajo  Nation,  as  narrated  by  the  young 
warrior,  would  have  been  received  with  far  greater  incredu- 
lity than  at  present.  Public  opinion  has  undergone  some- 
thing of  a  change  in  many  respects,  within  the  memory  of 
the  living,  and  among  other  things  it  has  learned  gradually 
to  tolerate,  if  not  indeed  to  respect,  opinions  that  differ 
from  those  commonly  accepted  as  true. 

Although  firm  adherents  in  the  belief  that  the  whole 
human  family  sprung  originally  from  one  common  head,  the 
American  people  would  now  scarcely  be  angry,  but  simply 
amused  at  the  credulity  of  the  savage  who  taught  that  his 
people  had  origin  in  a  separate  creation.  They  would  class 
him,  good  humoredly,  doubtless,  as  a  follower  of  Morton  and 
Gliddon.,  and  a  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  the  primeval 
diversity  of  man. 

But  who  can  say,  after  all,  when  intelligent  research  has 
been  made,  that  the  views  of  Morton  and  Gliddon,  and  the 
untutored  savage  as  well,  are  improbable  ? 

At  least,  no  one  can  say  that  they  are  impossible,  for  that 
would  imply  a  limit  to  the  powers  of  the  Great  First  Cause, 
and  would  impair  the  belief  in  His  omnipotence. 

Neither  can  any  one  say  that  the  creation  of  man,  in  his 
second  estate,  as  well  as  in  his  first,  was  impossible;  for  that, 
if  shown  to  be  true,  would  destroy  the  perfection  of 
Deity. 

If,  then,  the  primeval  diversity  of  mankind  is  by  no 
means  impossible,  why  should  we  regard  it  as  improbable, 
since  such  vast  differences  are  clearly  apparent  between  the 
great  sub-divisions  of  the  race  ? 

Guided  alone  by  our  reason,  we  would  most  certainly 
agree  that  the  great  fund  of  knowledge  now  at  command  in- 
dicates almost  conclusively  the  separate  creation  of  the  va- 
rious races  of  men. 


HAH-KEE-TA.  21 

Bishop  Butler,  in  the  introduction  to  his  "Analogy,"  in- 
forms us  that  "probability  is  the  most  reliable  of  all  guides 
in  life."  If,  therefore,  this  view  of  the  origin  of  the  races 
can  be  admitted  as  probable,  it  makes  a  safe  guide  for  the 
settlement  of  a  much  discussed  question,  and  gives  peace 
and  a  delightful  solution  to  many  things  that  now  appear 
totally  irreconcilable.  As  Morton  himself  more  happily 
puts  it,  it  gives  us  "a  theory  to  explain  the  otherwise  unin- 
telligible phenomena,  so  remarkably  stamped  on  the  races 
of  men." 

But,  unfortunately,  public  opinion,  to  which  we  are  com- 
pelled to  defer,  has  determined  that  the  whole  human  family 
sprung  from  one  common  source,  and  adheres  persistently  to 
its  faith,  notwithstanding  Morton  and  Gliddon  and  the  ap- 
parent teachings  of  nature.  Necessarily,  therefore,  accept- 
ing the  popular  theory  as  the  true  one,  let  us  take  Bishop 
Butler' s  suggestion,  and  endeavor  to  determine  briefly  the 
probabilities  of  the  origin  of  the  people  of  our  story. 

At  a  remote  and  uncertain  period  in  the  past  liistory  of 
the  world,  wandering  fugitives,  hard  pressed  by  their 
enemies,  or  daring  adventurers  fulfilling  destiny,  pushed  their 
way  Eastward  from  Northern  Asia,  and  eventually  found 
homes  in  America. 

Little  better  mentally,  no  doubt,  than  the  wild  beasts  with 
which  they  contended  for  the  possession  of  the  inhospitable 
region  to  which  they  had  come,  they  lived  on  for  ages,  slowly 
pushing  their  way  Southward  as  their  numbers  increased, 
and  hanging  on  tenaciously  to  the  habits  and  the  speech  of 
their  ancestors.  Behind  them  in  the  land  of  their  fathers, 
the  same  language  and  customs  existed  the  meanwhile,  un- 
changed. Held  fast  in  the  embrace  of  dense  ignorance  and 
stupidity,  this  silent  witness  of  the  migration,  transmitted 
from  one  generation  to  another  almost  unimpaired,  still  re- 


22  KAH-^EE-TA. 

mains  among  the  Esquimaux  of  America,  and  the  Tchuk- 
tches  of  Asia,  to  indicate  their  common  origin. 

Within  the  same  period,  doubtless,  there  came  here  and 
there  to  the  Western  coast  of  America,  drifting  junks  with 
Japanese  crews,  bearing  involuntary  emigrants,  destined  un- 
der the  providence  of  the  Almighty,  to  people  the  New 
World. 

Occasionally,  too,  there  came  helpless  vessels  from  Europe, 
drifting  with  the  Eastern  trades  to  total  destruction  in  the 
end,  upon  the  rough  coast  of  the  Atlantic.  So  drifted  the 
unconscious  Portugese  to  the  shores  of  Brazil,  on  their  first 
voyage  to  India.  And  so,  often,  even  now,  with  all  the  aids 
to  navigation  which  modern  civilization  has  given,  helpless 
crafts  from  one  cause  or  another,  drift  from  their  course 
and  perish  at  last  upon  some  unfriendly  shore. 

From  these  involuntary  emigrants,  and  the  roving  bands 
that  now  and  then  pushed  across  from  Northern  Asia,  and 
thence  found  their  way  Southward  as  far  as  the  chain  of  the 
great  lakes,  came  the  aborigines  of  America. 

As  their  numbers  increased,  and  generations  succeeded, 
the  influences  of  the  climate  and  the  new  life  of  the  people, 
gradually  produced  changes  in  ther  habits  and  appearance. 
Dependent  upon  the  chase  for  their  food,  they  grew  wild  and 
restless  like  the  beasts  which  they  pursued.  Familiar  with 
danger,  they  became  self-reliant  aud  brave. 

At  first,  doubtless,  they  adopted  some  strict  forms  of 
government  for  the  protection  of  the  rights  of  individuals, 
and  for  the  control  of  the  vicious.  But  the  restraints  thus 
imposed  soon  became  burdensome,  as  the  new  character 
developed,  and  were  at  last  entirely  abandoned  for  more 
primitive  methods. 

A  boundless  country  lay  about  them,  covered  with  dense 
forests  filled  with  wild  game,  and  traversed  by  wide  rivers, 


NAH-NEE-TA.  23 

abounding  in  fish.  At  times  vines  were  discovered  bearing 
rich  fruits,  and  trees  ladened  with  nuts.  Tempted  thus  to 
become  wanderers,  they  pushed  slowly  on  into  the  unknown 
regions  around  them,  to  the  East  and  the  West  and  the 
South. 

Here  and  there,  small  colonies  moved  on  together,  con- 
firmed in  their  wanderings,  or  in  search  of  more  desirable 
locations  for  their  homes,  until  a^  last,  widely  separated  by 
great  forests  and  rivers  they  became  totally  distinct  in  their 
habits  and  customs,  and  in  time  strangers  to  each  other. 

Sometimes,  vicious  individuals  fled  from  the  vengeance  of 
outraged  communities,  and  established  themselves  anew 
beyond  the  limit  of  pursuit.  About  them,  in  time,  new 
communities  grew  into  existence,  bearing  often  the  evil  traits 
of  their  founders. 

Spreading  out  thus,  slowly  but  surely,  moulded  by  the  pe- 
culiar circumstances  that  surrounded  each  community  and 
its  ever-growing  sub-divisions,  the  great  Indian  tribes  found 
their  birth.  The  traditions  of  their  origin  died  slowly  away,, 
and  were  supplanted  at  last  by  a  belief  in  a  separate  and 
distinct  creation  of  the  original  progenitors  of  their  peopler 

The  woman  sat  near  the  fire  holding  her  head  with  her 
hands,  evidently  in  deep  thought,  and  much  troubled.  Hei 
plans  for  the  future  had  been  unexpectedly  endangered,  and 
she  was  in  great  doubt  what  course  to  pursue.  Many  hope- 
ful solutions  presented  themselves  to  her  mind,  but  so  soon 
as  she  had  reasoned  each  one  out  to  its  probable  conclus'  m 
some  other  would  appear  that  seemed  better.  Many  long, 
weary  hours  passed  away  and  she  still  sat  thinking  and  per- 
plexed. 

She  had  good  reason  to  expect  that  the  great  beauty  of 
Nah-nee-ta  would  attract  the  attention  of  the  young  chief  and 
other  rich  warriors  of  the  nation,  and  that  there  would  be 


34  KAH-NEE-TA. 

much  competition,  and  many  offers  made  for  her.  She 
knew  that  To-me  did  not  possess  horses  enough  to  enable 
Mm  to  bid  with  any  show  of  success,  and  she  had  believed 
that  he  would  have  the  good  sense  to  recognize  this  fact,  and 
would  make  no  offers.  Should  he  bid  higher  than  his  com- 
petitors would  be  likely  to  bid,  he  would  utterly  impoverish 
himself,  and  take  the  girl  home  to  a  destitute  lodge. 

Po-lone  wished  to  avoid  such  a  result.  Indeed  she  had 
decided  upon  a  different  course  for  To-me,  and  it  now 
troubled  her  greatly  that  he  could  not  see  what  it  was  with- 
out being  told.  When  the  girl  had  been  disposed  of,  and 
she  was  left  alone  in  her  lodge,  she  had  determined  to  pro- 
pose to  To-me  that  he  should  "turn  his  horses  in  her  herd/' 
and  share  her  lodge  with  her  thereafter. 

This  business  method  of  acquiring  a  husband,  was  com- 
mon in  the  nation  among  unmarried  widows,  and  many 
young  warriors  would  have  gladly  received  an  invitation  from 
the  woman,  to  "turn  their  horses  in  her  herd,"  and  share 
her  wealth  with  her  thereafter. 

Po-lone  was  well  satisfied  from  the  language  which  To-me 
had  used,  that  his  heart  was  now  set  on  buying  the  girl,  and 
that  he  would  bid  boldly  for  her.  The  question  she  wished, 
therefore,  at  once  to  decide,  was  how  to  prevent  him  from 
pursuing  such  a  course.  One  plan  after  another  presented 
itself,  and  each  in  its  turn  was  rejected.  She  had  never 
before  been  so  sorely  perplexed  to  determine  what  she  should 
do. 

She  arose  at  last  to  her  feet,  and  groped  about  in  the 
darkness,  until  she  found  the  few  remaining  pieces  of  bark 
and  of  roots,  that  the  dwarf  had  collected,  and  gathering 
these  in  her  arms,  she  brought  them  to  the  center  of  the 
lodge,  and  laid  them  carefully  one  by  one,  on  the  live  coals 
which  yet  remained,  and  again  sat  down  in  her  place. 


NAH-XEE-TA.  26 

To-me  moved  about  uneasily  in  his  blanket.  The  foot- 
steps of  the  woman  had  disturbed  him,  and  although  scarcely 
awake,  he  was  conscious  that  some  one  was  moving  about  in 
the  lodge.  In  an  instant,  the  force  of  long  established  habit 
reasserted  itself,  and  he  sat  up  quickly  on  his  robe,  and 
looked  about  him.  His  eyes  fell  directly  on  the  woman  sit- 
ting wide  awake  near  the  fire.  It  occurred  to  him  at  once, 
that  Po-lone  had  been  disturbed  by  the  noise,  and  he  felt  no 
little  annoyance  to  think  that  a  squaw  had  exceeded  him  in 
vigilance.  For  a  time  he  sat  quietly  looking  about  him 
without  saying  a  word. 

' '  Did  Po-lone  bring  wood  for  the  fire  ?"  he  asked  her  at 
length. 

"  Yes/'  she  replied. 

"  Footsteps  drive  sleep  from  the  eyes  of  To-me." 

"Yea,"  said  the  woman,  "but  can  To-me  tell  what  drives 
sleep  from  the  eyes  of  Po-lone  ?" 

"  No;  To-me  cannot  tell.     Has  Po-lone  not  slept  ?" 

"No;  Po-lone  cannot  sleep." 

Ah  !  thought  To-me,  the  words  of  the  medicine  man  have 
sunk  deep  into  her  ears,  and  have  driven  out  the  horses  that 
were  there,  as  the  price  of  the  beautiful  Nah-nee-ta.  To-me 
will  make  the  woman  happy  by  a  gift,  and  the  girl  shall  go 
to  his  lodge. 

"Po-lone,"  he  said  at  length,  somewhat  desperately,  "  the 
words  of  the  medicine  man  were  good." 

"  They  were  all  very  good,"  she  said  solemnly. 

"  Po-lone  shall  choose  two  of  the  best  horses  in  the  herd 
of  To-me  for  her  own,  and  Nah-nee-ta  shall  go  to  his  lodge." 

"Nay,  two  horses  are  not  enough." 

"Three  then." 

"Hark  now,"  said  the  woman,  "how  many  horses  has  To- 
me in  his  herd?" 


26  NAH-]STEE-TA. 

"Five  only.  Po-lone  must  be  reasonable." 
" To-me  must  be  wise,  and  not  make  himself  a  beggar  for 
a  squaw.  Nay,  To-me,"  she  continued  after  a  brief  pause, 
"leave  the  horses  in  the  herd,  and  when  the  great  council 
is  over,  drive  them  all  to  the  South,  and  turn  them  loose  in 
the  herd  of  Po-lone." 

To-me  was  speechless  with  surprise.  The  proposition  of 
the  woman  was  so  entirely  unexpected,  that  he  could  scarcely 
believe  what  he  heard.  Po-lone  was  yet  young,  and  good- 
looking  withal,  and  the  offer  she  made  was  a  most  desirable 
one.  Before  Nah-nee-ta  had  crossed  his  path,the  young 
warrior  would  have  been  glad  to  accept  it.  But  now  he  had 
set  his  heart  on  the  daughter,  what  could  he  say  to  the 
mother  ?  If  he  rejected  her  offer,  he  would  incur  her  bitter 
enmity,  and  destroy  forever  all  hope  of  obtaining  possession 
of  the  beautiful  Nah-nee-ta.  What  should  he  say  ?  To-me 
was  sadly  perplexed  and  bowed  down  his  head,  and  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands,  like  one  lost  in  thought.  At  last  he 
•  raised  up  his  head  and  uncovered  his  face.  The  woman  sat 
silently  watching  him,  and  waiting  for  an  answer. 

"The  words  of  Po-lone  are  all  good,"  he  said  at  length, 
submissively. 

"To-me  is  wise.  He  is  good,  and  he  is  brave,"  said  the 
woman  softly,  her  voice  scarcely  rising  above  a  whisper. 
"Hearken  we'll  now  to  the  words  of  Po-lone.  The  beautiful 
Nah-nee-ta  is  a  Mexican." 

"A  Mexican  !"  exclaimed  To-me,  contemptuously. 
"Yea,  a  Mexican,  born  is  a  casa  of  the  vile,  hated  race, 
on  the  bank  of  the  great  river,  the  Eio  Grande  del  Norte." 
"And  she  is  not  the  daughter  of  Po-lone  ?" 
"Yea,  she  is  the  daughter  of  Po-lone,  and  the  master  of 
Po-lone  was  her  father." 

"Were  there  no  warriors  to  buy  Po-lone  when  she  was  a 
girl  ?"  asked  To-me  indignantly. 


HAH-KEE-TA.  27 

"There  were  no  warriors  to  defend  Po-lone  when  she  was 
a  girl/'  said  the  woman  sadly,  "or  the  Mexicans  would 
never  have  been  able  to  steal  her  as  they  did  from  the  midst 
of  the  Nation." 

1  "To-me's  face  burns  with  shame  at  the  words  of  the  wo- 
man." 

"  Nay,  it  was  not  because  the  warriors  were  not  brave,  but 
because  they  were  few.  The  Mexicans  were  strong,  and 
came  in  great  haste  by  mountain  trails  seldom  used.  When 
their  approach  was  discovered  the  runners  of  the  head  chief 
rode  rapidly  about  to  spread  the  alarm,  and  warn  the  people 
to  flee.  Beacon  fires  were  lighted  in  haste  on  the  mountains, 
that  all  the  nation  might  be  speedily  aroused. 

"  The  Mexicans  rode  rapidly  up  the  great  valley,  leading 
to  the  North  from  the  cafion  Bo-neet.  While  they  moved 
in  the  middle  of  the  valley,  the  smoke  from  the  fires 
went  up  from  the  mountains  on  the  East  and  the  West. 
When  they  moved  from  one  side  or  the  other,  a  great  column 
of  smoke  could  be  seen  on  that  side  alone.  As  they  ad- 
vanced up  the  valley  the  columns  of  smoke  advanced  with 
them,  and  rose  up  one  after  another,  further  and  further  to 
the  North. 

"  A  portion  of  the  clan  of  the  head  chief  lived  in  the  val- 
ley at  the  time,  and  was  in  an  almost  defenseless  condition. 
Nearly  all  the  young  warriors  of  the  clan  had  been  called 
away  by  the  great  war  chief  Manuleto,  and  had  gone  on  the 
war  path  against  the  Apaches. 

"The  women  and  the  children  and  the  old  men  fled  to  the 
mountains  in  the  greatest  consternation.  The  Mexicans 
dashed  upon  them  before  they  could  reach  places  of  safety, 
and,  seizing  the  women  and  children,  permitted  the  others 
to  escape.  Then  gathering  the  scattered  herds  of  horses  to- 
gether as  rapidly  as  possible  they  rode  furiously  back  to  the 


28  XAH-KEE-TA. 

South  by  the  way  they  had  come,    carrying   their   captives 
•with  them. 

"The  plain  resounded  with  the  shrieks  and  'the  cries  of 
the  women  and  children,  the  rushing  of  the  horses  and  the 
loud  shouts  of  the  Mexicans.  The  women  did  not  submit 
tamely,  but  struggled  and  fought  like  wounded  wild  beasts 
with  the  hunters.  Many  escaped  from  their  captors  and  fled 
towards  the  mountains,  evading  pursuit  among  the  rocks  of 
the  foot-hills,  and  finally  got  safely  away." 

The  woman  spoke  slowly  and  earnestly  in  the  meagre 
tongue  of  her  people,  helping  out  often  the  half  hidden  pur- 
port of  her  words,  with  idiomatic  expressions  and  gestures, 
with  which  her  companion  was  familiar.  With  sighs  and 
with  groans  and  with  many"  vigorous  gestures  that  baffle  de- 
scription, and  with  broken  speech  that  makes  literal  rendition 
impossible,  she  proceeded  with  her  story. 

"In  the  meantime,"  she  continued,  "a  number  of  war- 
riors had  hastily  gathered,  and  were  waiting  in  concealment 
at  a  point  in  the  valley  but  a  short  distance  from  the  place 
where  the  Mexicans  had  ceased  to  advance.  When  the  war- 
riors discovered  that  their  enemies  were  leaving  the  valley, 
they  quickly  mounted  their  horses  and  followed  at  once  in 
pursuit. 

"The  Mexicans  almost  immediately  abandoned  the  horses 
they  had  taken,  and  defended  themselves  with  their  arms. 
They  fought  very  bravely  until  night  had  set  in,  when  they 
fled  down  the  valley  under  cover  of  darkness. 

"All  the  women  who  had  been  captured,  were  either 
rescued  by  the  warriors,  or  succeeded  in  effecting  their  escape, 
except  only  Po-lone,  and  she  too  would  have  made  good  her 
escape,  and  have  reached  a  safe  place  with  the  others,  but 
for  a  false  step  which  she  made  as  she  ran.  She  fell  heavily 
to  the  ground,  and  her  ^head  striking  a  'stone  that  lay  in 


NAH-KEE-TA.  29 

her  path,  she  became  quickly  unconscious.  When  she  re- 
covered her  thoughts,  she  found  herself  in  the  arms  of  her 
captor  riding  rapidly  to  the  South. 

"  The  Mexican  rode  a  powerful,  black  horse,  of  wonderful 
speed  and  endurance,  and  was  soon  well  in  advance  of  his 
companions.  Finally  when  it  became  dark,  he  abandoned 
them  entirely,  and  pushed  his  way  Southward,  alone  with 
his  captive.  About  midnight  he  halted  and  dismounted  to 
permit  the  animal  to  rest.  The  noise  of  the  tramping  of  the 
horses,  and  the  voices  of  the  Mexicans  calling  to  each  other, 
as  they  galloped  down  the  valley  in  the  darkness,  had  grad- 
ually died  away  in  the  distance,  and  now  could  no  longer  be 
heard.  The  occasional  wailing  cry  of  a  coyote,  alone  broke 
the  great  silence  of  the  night. 

"  At  daylight  on  the  following  morning  the  Mexican 
reached  the  country  of  the  Aqua  Azul,  and  again  halted  to 
give  his  weary  horse  a  few  moments  to  rest.  The  great  speed 
which  had  been  kept  up  during  all  the  previous  night,  had 
fatigued  the  noble  animal,  and  his  master  anxiously  watched 
him  as  he  slowly ;  cropped  the  short  grass  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream. 

"The  Mexican  knew  that  rapid  pursuit  would  be  made, 
and  that  it  would  be  pushed  to  the  very  hills  that  overlook 
the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande.  He  was  therefore  anxious  to 
move  forward  as  rapidly  as  the  conditioli  of  his  horse  would 
permit.  The  main  body  of  the  Mexicans  was  still  behind 
him,  and  he  hoped  it  was  yet  between  him  and  his  pursuers. 
But  the  warriors  rode  hardy  horses,  accustomed  to  long, 
rapid  journeys,  and  he  feared  that  they  might  possibly  have 
passed  his  companions  during  the  night,  or  have  pushed 
across  the  mountains,  by  trails  known  only  to  themselves, 
in  order  to  reach  some  point  in  the  valley,  when  they  would 
be  able  to  intercept  his  retreat,  with  the  advantage  of  position. 


30  NAH-NEE-TA. 

Such  a  point  he  knew  existed,  some  miles  yet  below  in  the 
valley,  and  his  safety  might  depend  upon  reaching  it  first.  v 

"He  started  on  presently  again,  this  time  walking  briskly 
along  on  the  trail,  leading  his  horse  after  him,  and  driving 
his  captive  before.  After  walking  some  time,  he  reached  a 
low  range  of  hills  over  which  the  trail  lay,  and  ascended  to 
its  top.  From  this  point  he  could  see  a  great  distance  up  the 
valley,  in  the  direction  from  which  he  had  come.  A  body 
of  horsemen  were  in  view  galloping  rapidly  towards  him. 
The  Mexican  shaded  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  and  watched 
them  anxiously  for  awhile.  He  was  evidently  unable 
to  determine  whether  they  were  his  comrades  following 
after,  or  the  dreaded  warriors  in  pursuit.  At  last,  acting 
upon  his  fears,  he  hastily  mounted  his  horse,  and  taking  his 
captive  up  quickly  behind  him,  galloped  on  furiously  again. 
After  a  few  hours  hard  riding,  he  came  within  sight  of  a 
narrow  opening  through  the  Mai  Pais.  This  was  the  place 
which  he  feared  his  pursuers  might  have  reached,  and  as 
he  approached  nearer,  he  rode  back  and  forth  across  the 
narrow  valley,  looking  attentively  on  the  ground  for  foot 
marks  of  horses  and  men.  He  soon  became  convinced  that 
the  warriors  had  not  reached  the  pass,  and  riding  slowly 
forward,  he  cautiously  advanced  by  the  narrow  opening, 
into  the  dreaded  evil  land. 

"From  the  base  of  steep  mountains  on  the  right  and  on 
the  left  of  the  pass,  the  whole  valley  was  filled  with  a  rough, 
broken  mass  of  black  lava.  Great  fissures  yawned  between 
these  broken  masses  so  deep  down  in  the  earth,  that  the 
darkness  never  left  them.  Hope  died  in  Po-lone's  heart 
when  she  found  that  the  warriors  had  not  reached  the  pass, 
and  she  wept,  and  struggled  hard  to  escape. 

"Finally,  loosing  herself  from  the  grasp  of  the  Mexican, 
she  sprang  to  the  ground  and  fled  back  along  the  pass  for 


KAH-NEE-TA.  31 

some  distance,  and  then  attempted  to  conceal  herself  be- 
tween the  great  broken  masses  of  lava.  She  shrank  back 
in  terror  from  each  opening  that  she  attempted  to  enter. 
They  were  all  dark,  bottomless  houses  of  evil  things,  wait- 
ing to  close  up  forever  some  poor  human  being. 

"The  Mexican  was  soon  in  pursuit,  and,  directly  overtaking 
his  captive,  seized  her  by  the  hair,  and  threw  her  with  great 
force  to  the  ground.  Then  fastening  the  end  of  his  lariat 
about  one  of  her  ankles,  he  returned  to  his  horse,  dragging 
his  captive  behind  him,  over  the  rough  ground. 


III. 

Tome  had  sat  the  meanwhile  listening  attentively  to  the 
story  of  the  woman,  but  exhibiting  no  evidence  of  the  great 
indignation  and  the  burning  desire  for  revenge,  which  her 
words  had  awakened.  But  he  could  now  no  longer  conceal 
his  emotion,  and  rising  quickly  from  the  robe  on  which  he 
sat,  he  suddenly  drew  his  hunting  knife  from  its  sheath, 
and  threw  it  violently  to  the  ground. 

"Why  should  the  warriors  of  the  Nation  have  weapons?" 
he  cried,  indignantly.  "They  are  squaws,  every  one,  and 
weapons  are  useless  in' their  hands.  Nay,"  he  said  hurriedly, 
again  grasping  his  knife.  "To-me  will  go,  even  now,  to  the 
great  river,  and  bring  back  to  Po-lone  the  scalp  of  the  Mexi- 
can." 

"Nay,  brave  To-rne,  wait  a  breath  only.  The  journey 
would  be  useless." 

"Po-lone  shall  speak  on,"  he  said,  and  after  a  brief  hesi- 
tation, again  seated  himself  on  the  robe. 

"The  girl  finally  got  up  on  her  feet,"  said  Po-lone,  once 
more  continuing  her  story,  "and  followed  her  captor  submis- 
sively. Mounting  his  horse  now  again,  he  took  her  up 
quickly  behind  him,  and  fastening  the  lariat  to  his  saddle, 
rode  rapidly  forward. 

"The  terrible  Mai  Pais  extended  for  a  long,  long  distance, 
and  the  dark  graves  in  the  way  lay  close  to  the  pass,  and 
yawned  threateningly  at  the  Mexican  and  his  captive.  Po- 
lone' s  heart  grew  faint  at  the  sight  of  the  graves,  and  she 
closed  both  her  eyes  and  held  fast  to  her  captor.  She  had 
no  more  desire  to  escape,  not  even  from  the  cruel  fetters  that 
bound  her.  She  was  glad  that  her  foot  was  tied  fast  to  the 
saddle,  and  that  the  lariat  was  strong  and  could  not  be  bro- 


NAH-KEE-TA.  33 

ken.  She  forgot  the  pain  of  her  bruises  in  the  great  terror 
that  now  filled  her  heart,  and  thought  no  more  of  her  great 
hatred  for  her  captor. 

"At  last  the  southern  eatrance  of  the  pass  into  the  terri- 
ble Mai  Pais  was  reached,  and  the  Mexican  rode  down  into 
a  beautiful  valley,  along  the  clear  waters  of  the  Gio.  From 
this  point  he  made  frequent  halts,  to  permit  his  horse  to 
take  needed  rest  and  to  graze,  and  often  walked  on  in 
silence,  leading  the  weary  beast  after  him,  and  driving  the 
captive  before.  At  last  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the 
mountains,  and  the  darkness  again  fell  upon  the  earth. 

"The  trail  had  left  the  valley  when  the  sun  was  far  down 
and  now  wound  tortuously  over  a  broken  mountain  range, 
that  lay  between  the  Gio  and  the  valley  of  the  Eio  Grande. 
The  weary  horse,  no  longer  able  to  carry  his  burden,  followed 
after  his  master  with  slow  and  faltering  steps.  The  terrible 
night  dragged  slowly  on,  and  the  poor  exhausted  captive, 
almost  unable  to  proceed,  sank  often  to  the  ground  and 
quickly  fell  asleep  amid  the  threats  and  the  blows  of  her 
captor.  Sometimes  he  let  her  sleep  for  a  while,  that  his 
weary  horse  might  have  rest,  but  often  raised  her  up  roughly 
and  forced  her  to  go  on  again. 

"At  last  the  soft,  gray  light  of  the  early  morning  fell 
'gently  from  the  sky,  and  rested  like  a  dream  upon  the  earth. 
The  Mexican  had  now  reached  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
and  had  halted  to  await  the  coming  of  the  light.  It  came 
slowly  on,  gradually  bringing  into  view  a  great  valley, 
through  which  a  wide  river  ran,  and  at  last  revealed  a  little 
village,  half  hidden  among  some  trees,  that  grew  upon  the 
banks  of  the  stream.  The  Mexican  gave  a  great  shout  for 
joy,  and  the  horse  raised  up  his  head  and  neighed,  as  though 
he,  too,  recognized,  as  well  as  his  master,  that  his  journey 
was  near  its  end. 


34  NAH-KEE-TA. 

"The  Mexican  was  received  by  his  people  with  caresses,  and 
with  many  kind  words  of  welcome  ;  but  for  the  poor  captive 
there  were  only  looks  of  great  hatred,  and  fierce  glances 
from  dark,  burning  eyes.  In  a  short  time  she  was  hurried 
with  rough  gestures  to  the  kitchen,  where,  one  after  another, 
all  the  people  in  the  casa,  came  directly  to  stare  at  her,  as 
though  she  was  a  wild  beast  from  the  mountains.  After 
she  had  eaten  some  food,  a  merciful  sleep  came  upon  her, 
and  for  a  long  time  poor  Po-lone  forgot  all  her  troubles. 

"The  mistress  of  the  casa  hated  the  Indian  girl  from  the 
first,  and  treated  her  always  most  cruelly.  JSTo  one  dared 
show  any  pity  for  the  poor  captive,  without  provoking  hot 
words  from  the  mistress.  The  master  himself  got  his  full  share 
from  her  long  busy  tongue,  and  there  was  no  peace  in  the 
casa. 

"At  last  a  great  medicine  man,  whom  the  Mexicans  called 
padre,  came  to  the  casa.  The  master  and  the  mistress  re- 
ceived him,  with  all  the  honor  due  to  a  chief,  and,  with 
many  kind  words,  bade  him  welcome. 

"But  the  padre's  face  was  much  troubled,  and  he  found 
but  few  words  in  his  mouth  to  reply. 

"'The  people  talk/  he  said  solemnly.  'They  say 
there  is  no  peace  in  the  casa.  Is  what  they  say  true  ?' 

"'Nay,'  said  the  master,  'the  people  like  much  to 
talk,  and — ' 

"  '  Let  the  mistress  speak  first/  said  the  padre. 

"  The  mistress  hung  down  her  head,  as  if  in  doubt  what  to 
say.  At  last  she  found  courage  to  answer  : 

"  '  There  is  an  Indian  captive  in  the  casa,  dear  padre/' 
she  said,  '  and  she  does  not  know  good  things  from  vile. 
There  can  be  no  peace  while  the  captive  is  here/ 

"  '  Then  send  her  away/  said  the  padre. 

"  'Alas  !  dear  padre,  the  master  will  not/ 


NAH-NEE-TA.  35 

"'She  must  go/  said  the  padre,  decidedly.  'There 
must  be  peace  in  the  casa/ 

" '  Shall  she  be  set  free  in  the  mountains  ?'  asked  the 
mistress.  '  She  could  find  her  way  back  to  her  people/ 

"  'Nay,  that  would  be  cruel/ 

"'She  could  have  her  blankets  and  some  food?^  urged 
the  mistress. 

"'Nay,.  I  tell  thee/  said  the  padre,  quite  hotly. 
'The  saints  forbid  that  such  a  cruel  thing  should  be 
done/  And  then,  after  a  long  silence,  he  added  softly  : 
'  She  may  come  to  the  casa  of  the  padre,  until  some  other 
home  can  be  found  for  her/ 

"  The  words  of  the  padre  were  not  welcome  in  the  ears  of 
the  master,  but  he  dared  not  disobey,  and  calling  a  peon,  he 
bade  him  saddle  a  horse  and  take  the  captive  up  behind  him 
and  follow  the  padre.  The  mistress  found  many  words  in 
her  mouth,  as  the  captive  rode  away,  for  the  dear  padre, 
who  had  brought  peace  to  the  casa,  but  the  master  uncovered 
his  head,  and  looked  on  in  silence. 

"  There  were  many  wonderful  things,  To-me,  in  the  ho-gan 
of  the  padre.  Queer-shaped  pieces  of  wood,  and  twisted 
grass,  tied  together,  were  used  by  the  people  for  seats.  A  great 
beautiful  blanket  lay  upon  the  ground,  and  covered  it  com- 
pletely from  sight.  A  curious  thing  called  a  table,  stood  in 
the  room,  and  pictures  of  men  and  of  animals,  hung  on  the 
walls. 

"  But  one  thing,  To-me,  was  the  most  wonderful  of  all. 
It  was  a  great,  bright,  shining  shield,  made  of  silver,  held 
fast  in  its  place  on  the  wall,  by  small  pieces  of  wood  fastened 
together  about  it.  When  one  looked -in  the  shield,  a  face 
could  be  seen.  It  was  the  spirit  of  the  one  who  stood  before 
it  and  looked.  It  was  much  like  the  spirit  of  one  who  looks 
down  into  deep,  clear  water.  But  the  spirit  in  the  water  is 


36  NAH-NEE-TA. 

weak.     The  spirit  in  the  shining  shield  of  the  padre,   is 
strong. 

"  A  few  pieces  of  wood  burned  brightly  on  the  fire,  and 
the  casa  was  well  lighted  by  the  blaze.  But  the  padre  was 
not  pleased  with  the  light.  He  took  up  a  stick  that  lay  on 
the  table,  and  rubbed  it  hard  on  the  wall,  and  fire  came  out 
from  the  wall,  and  set  the  stick  in  a  blaze.  Then  he 
touched  the  blaze  to  a  string  of  twisted  wool,  in  the  center 
of  a  long  piece  of  tallow,  and  it  burned  slowly,  and  gave  a 
great  light  in  the  casa.  At  last  the  padre  took  a  small 
bell  from  the  table  and  rang  it.  A  woman  soon  came  to 
the  door,  and  after  the  padre  had  spoken,  she  beckoned 
Po-lone  to  follow  her,  and  went  quickly  away. 

' '  For  a  time  the  woman  had  hot  words  in  her  mouth  for 
Po-lone,  but  she  soon  found  that  the  captive  was  strong,  and 
willing  to  work,  and  her  heart  grew  soft  and  her  words 
became  kind.  Then  each  day  she  spent  a  long  time  in 
teaching  the  girl  something  useful  and  strange. 

"  There  was  a  dwarf  in  the  casa,"  she  continued,  nodding 
her  head  toward  Cheno,  as  she  spake,  "and  his  heart,  too, 
was  soft,  and  his  words  were  all  kind. 

"Many  moons  passed  away  and  the  time  came  at  last 
when  the  captive  was  welcome  no  more  in  the  casa  of  the 
padre. 

"One  day  he  found  words  in  his  mouth,  and  calling  Po- 
lone  to  him  put  his  hands  on  her  head  and  bade  her  go  back 
to  the  casa  of  the  Mexican. 

"Poor  Po-lone  was  very  sad  when  she  heard  the  words  of 
the  padre,  and  her  heart  sank  within  her.  She  fell  on  the 
ground  and  wet  his  feet  with  her  tears,  and  begged  that  he 
would  not  send  her  away. 

"  'Nay/  said  the  padre,  ' Po-lone  must  go  now.  It  may  be 
that  at  some  other  time,  she  can  come.  It  is  not  proper  now 
that  she  should  be  here/ 


NAH-tfEE-TA.  37 

"So  the  poor  girl  was  sent  back  to  the  casa  of  the  Mexi- 
can, and  took  her  old  place  in  the  kitchen. 

"At  last  her  baby  was  born  and  the  grief  of  Po-lone  was 
turned  into  joy. 

"One  moon  after  another  now  passed  quickly  away,  and 
the  child  grew  in  strength  and  in  beauty.  But  the  mistress 
hated  the  mother  and  the  child,  and  there  was  no  peace  in 
tne  casa.  In  her  anger,  one  day,  she  struck  at  the  child 
with  her  hand. 

"  'Coyote  \'  screamed  Po-lone,  frantic  with  rage,  'Coyote  I 
and  dog/  and  seizing  a  stick  that  lay  near  the  fire,  she  gave 
the  mistress  a  blow  on  her  head  that  felled  her  to  the  ground. 
Then  seizing  her  child  and  her  blanket,  she  fled  from  the 
casa. 

"Once  outside  the  walls  she  stopped,  almost  in  the  door, 
undecided  what  next  she  should  do.  Her  poor  thoughts 
were  all  at  war  with  each  other.  Her  first  impulse  was  to 
flee  down  the  river  to  the  casa  of  the  padre.  But  it  flashed 
quick  on  her  mind  that  he  might  not  receive  her.  Then 
she  would  flee  to  the  mountains  and  attempt  to  escape  to  her 
people.  But  no,  the  master  would  follow  and  overtake  her 
before  the  mountains  could  be  reached.  There  was  nothing 
left  for  her  to  do  after  all,  but  to  fly  to  the  casa  of  the  padre^, 
and  beg  his  protection  and  trust  to  his  kindness. 

"Gathering  her  babe  closer  in  her  arms  she  hurried  away. 
She  had  only  taken  a  few  steps,  when,  raising  her  eyes,  she 
observed  several  people  coming  along  the  great  trail  not  far 
from  the  casa.  If  she  should  continue  her  flight  they  would, 
doubtless,  soon  stop  her,  and  compel  her  to  return.  She 
stopped  short  in  the  path,  and  turning  about  walked  slow  . 
back,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do. 

"Suddenly  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  horse  of  the  Mexican, 
the  same  noble  black  horse,  that  had  carried  her  into  cap- 


38  NAH-NEE-TA. 

tivity,  standing  quietly  at  the  door  of  the  corral,  ready  sad- 
dled and  bridled  for  the  use  of  his  master.  Running  at  once 
to  his  side,  she  sprang  into  the  saddle  and  galloped  away  to- 
wards the  mountains. 

" After  riding  some  time  she  turned  in  her  saddle,  and 
looked  back  at  the  casa.  She  was  much  surprised  to  ob- 
serve that  she  was  already  pursued.  The  master  and  two  of 
his  peons,  had  hastily  mounted  and  were  riding  rapidly  in 
pursuit.  She  urged  her  horse  to  greater  speed  than  before, 
and  rode  boldly  for  the  nearest  foot-hills,  following  a  trail 
made  by  the  carrettas  that  went  daily  to  the  mountains  for 
wood. 

" At  last  the  trail  ceased  entirely,  and  the  mountain  became 
steep  and  difficult  to  climb.  The  horse  moved  forward 
slowly,  picking  his  steps  among  the  loose  stones  in  the  way. 
He  had  gotten  well  to  the  top,  when  he  suddenly  stopped, 
and,  raising  his  head,  looked  intently  before  him  in  the 
bushes.  Then  turning  quickly  about  he  attempted  to  run 
back  by  the  way  he  had  come. 

' '  Po-lone  found  it  almost  impossible  to  force  him  to  turn 
and  move  on  up  the  mountain  again.  In  her  fear  and  ex- 
citement she  shouted  to  him  in  the  Navajo  tongue,  and 
promised  him  rest  for  all  of  his  days,  if  he  would  bear  her 
in  safety  to  her  people  again.  But  the  horse  was  greatly 
alarmed,  and  could  scarcely  be  made  to  go  forward  at  all. 
She  succeeded,  however,  in  forcing  him  on,  and  had  almost 
reached  the  top  of  the  mountain,  when  three  warriors  sprung 
suddenly  out  from  the  cover  of  bushes  before  her.  One 
instantly  cast  a  long  lasso  about  the  neck  of  the  horse,  and 
quickly  led  him  aside. 

"  A  single  glance  at  the  warriors  made  the  heart  of  Po-lone 
jump  quick  for  joy.  One  was  a  Navajo,  and  the  two  others 
were  Utes. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  39 

"  "  A  woman  from  the  nation!'  cried  the  Navajo  hurriedly. 

"'Yes/  answered  Po-lone,  'a  captive  from  the  nation 
fleeing  from  her  master.  The  pursuers  are  already  in  sight/ 

"The  warriors  led  the  horse  quickly  behind  some  rocks 
to  conceal  him,  and  bade  Po-lone  hasten  to  hide  in  the 
bushes. 

"The  horse  pawed  the  ground  as  his  master  approached, 
and  struggled  to  break  the  rope  with  which  he  was  tied.  At 
last  he  raised  up  his  head  and  neighed  loudly.  The  pur- 
suers were  but  a  short  distance  away,  and  they  gave  a  great 
shout  in  answer  to  the  call  of  the  horse,  and  almost  immedi- 
ately after  they  came  in  full  view,  riding  up  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  At  the  instant  they  made  their  appearance,  the 
sharp  twang  of  three  bow  strings  sounded  clear  in  the  air 
and  three  barbed  arrows  sped  swiftly  away. 

"The  Mexican  reeled  for  an  instant  in  his  saddle,  and 
then  fell  dead  to  the  ground.  One  of  the  peons  fell  almost 
by  the  side  of  his  master,  and  the  other,  sorely  wounded,  at 
once  made  his  escape,  and  rode  rapidly  away  down  the  moun- 
tain. The  warriors  soon  succeeded  in  capturing  the  horses 
which  the  Mexican  and  the  peon  had  ridden,  and  antici- 
pating immediate  pursuit,  set  out  in  great  haste  for  the 
North. 

"The  Navajo  belonged  to  one  of  the  great  clans  of  the 
nation,  living  on  the  border  of  the  country  of  the  Utes,  and 
the  trail  of  the  party  lay  far  from  the  valley  where  the 
family  of  Po-lone  built  their  ho-gans,  and  pastured  their 
flocks.  After  many  days  of  hard  riding  the  warriors  reached 
the  country  of  the  Utes.  Here  the  Navajo  and  his  compan- 
ions divided  the  horses  and  the  arms  they  had  captured, 
and  separated,  the  Utes  going  farther  on  to  the  North  to  re- 
turn to  their  people,  and  the  Navajo  turning  to  the  South 
in  search  of  his  ho-gan. 


40  NAH-^EE-TA. 

"To-pa-ha  was  kind  to  Po-lone,  and  his  words  were  all 
good,  and  she  went  with  him  at  last  to  live  in  his  lodge. 
Many  moons  came  and  went,  and  To-pa-ha  and  his  squaw 
lived  in  great  peace.  But  at  last  poor  To-pa-ha  lay  sick  in 
his  ho-gan.  The  medicine  men  came  and  chanted  their 
songs,  and  beat  on  their  drums  and  made  great  fires,  to 
drive  the  evil  spirits  away.  But  the  evil  work  had  been 
done,  even  before  they  had  come,  and  all  their  efforts  proved 
useless  to  save  him.  When  he  was  dead  the  body  was  laid 
in  the  center  of  the  lodge,  and  after  the  days  of  mourning 
were  over,  it  was  burned  where  it  lay. 

"Po-lone  started  then  to  the  South  in  search  of  her  people, 
driving  before  her  the  flocks  and  the  herds  that  had  belonged 
to  her  husband.  Once  or  more  she  had  sent  a  message  to 
her  people  that  she  had  been  rescued  from  the  Mexicans, 
and  was  living  with  her  husband  in  the  North.  When  she 
arrived  at  the  ho-gaii  of  her  mother,  her  heart  was  made 
glad  by  the  words  of  praise  that  she  heard  for  the  brave 
To-pa-ha,  who  had  rescued  her  from  the  Mexicans  on  the 
night  of  her  capture,  and  had  carried  her  away  to  his  ho-gan 
in  the  North.  Po-lone  kept  her  words  in  her  mouth,  and 
Nah-nee-ta  is  known  in  the  nation,  as  To-pa-ha7  s  daughter/' 

When  the  woman  had  finished  her  story,  she  bowed  down 
her  head,  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands.  A  long 
silence  ensued,  unbroken  save  by  the  heavy  breathing  of  the 
sleeping  girl  and  the  dwarf.  At  last  the  woman  raised  up 
her  head,  and  drawing  her  blanket  about  her  arose  to  her 
feet,  and  going  to  the  corner  of  the  lodge,  lay  down  by  the 
side  of  her  daughter.  When  she  had  gone,  To-me  again 
stretched  himself  slowly  upon  his  robe,  and  was  soon  fast 
asleep. 


IV. 

The  people  of  the  village  were  moving  about  at  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning,  and  To-me  was  speedily  awakened  by 
the  tramping  of  feet,  mingled  with  the  cries  of  the  peons 
and  squaws  who  were  gathering  together  the  herds  and  the 
flocks  of  the  several  families  of  the  clan,  to  drive  them  to 
the  pastures  along  the  banks  of  the  stream. 

To-me  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  drawing  his  blanket  about 
him,  passed  out  of  the  lodge. 

The  sun  was  just  rising  above  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tains, gilding  the  encampment  with  his  first  golden  rays. 
To  the  Eastward,  in  the  valley  along  the  banks  of  the 
stream,  dark  shadows  yet  lingered,  almost  obstructing  the 
view.  Far  away  to  the  Westward,  the  mountain  tops  seemed 
ablaze  with  the  light,  and  all  the  rock-covered  peaks  were 
crested  with  great  burning  crowns. 

To-me  gazed  about  him  in  silence  for  awhile,  and  then 
turning  his  face  to  the  Bast,  looked  intently  at  the  sun. 

"What  has  To-me  in  his  eyes?"  cried  a  voice  near  him. 

"To-me's  heart  is  made  glad/"  he  replied,  without  remov- 
ing his  gaze.  "The  light  of  the  Great  Spirit  has  come  once 
again,  to  drive  the  evil  shadows  from  the  land  of  the  Nation. 
The  Great  Spirit  is  good// 

"And  the  light  will  drive  the  evil  shadows  from  the  trail 
of  the  young  chief,  and  the  principal  men  of  the  clan  as 
they  ride." 

"Yes." 

"Does  To-me  ride  with  them  ?" 

"Where  do  they  ride?" 

"To  the  great  council  chamber." 

"No  !  To-me  will  not  ride." 

"Will  not  To-me  ride  with  the  chief?" 


42  KAH-NEE-TA. 

Indignant  that  the  question  had  been  asked  him  again, 
To-me  was  about  to  make  an  angry  reply,,  but  he  suddenly 
recalled  the  words  of  the  woman,  that  she  would  accompany 
the  young  chief  to  the  council,  and  after  a  short  pause  he 
said  quietly. 

"Yes,  To-me  will  ride." 

"Has  To-me  two  tongues  in  his  head  ?" 

"Nay,  To-me  has  but  one  tongue  in  his  head,"  he  replied 
sharply,  "but  his  thoughts  were  at  war.  They  are  all  now 
at  peace;  To-me  will  ride  with  the  chief. " 

"To-me  is  wise.  It  is  best  to  forget  the  hot  words  of  a 
brother,  and  live  always  in  peace/' 

The  runner  turned  instantly  about,  and  looked  at  the 
speaker.  The  young  chief  stood  before  him,  his  face  bear- 
ing a  smile,  and  his  hand  extended  for  a  greeting.  To-me' s 
face  instantly  grew  dark,  and  his  eyes  burned  like  live  coals 
of  fire.  Stepping  back  for  a  pace  he  drew  his  blanket  more 
closely  about  him,  and  refused  to  notice  the  extended  hand 
of  the  chief. 

"JSTay,  brave  To-me,  let  there  be  peace.  The  words  of 
l^ariano  were  hot,  and  his  heart  now  is  sad.  Mariano  is  the 
friend  of  every  warrior  in  the  nation.  Why  should  he  think 
evil  of  the  bravest  of  them  all  ?  To-me  will  yet  be  a  great 
chief  among  his  people,  and  his  example  must  be  good. 
Let  the  light  of  the  Great  Spirit  drive  the  shadows  from  his 
heart,  even  as  it  has  driven  them  now  from  the  valley." 

"The  words  of  the  chief  are  all  good,"  said  To-me,  and 
stepping  forward  with  some  hesitation,  he  took  the  hand  of 
the  young  chief  in  his  own.  It  was  motionless  and  cold, 
and  chilled  him  to  his  heart.  He  dropped  it  at  once,  and 
looked  the  chief  earnestly  in  the  face,  as  though  he  sought 
to  find  there  some  evidence  of  deceit.  But  the  face  of  Mari- 
ano still  wore  the  same  quiet  smile,  and  his  eyes  shone 
kindly,  as  he  returned  the  fixed  gaze  of  the  runner. 


NAH-KEE-TA.  43 

But  the  doubts  of  To-me  were  by  no  means  removed.  The 
matter  between  them  had  been  formally  adjusted,  but  he 
felt  that  at  heart  the  grievance  of  both  still  existed.  There 
was  no  alternative,  however.  He  had  given  his  hand,  and 
by  the  precedent  of  custom,  he  could  never  recall  his  past 
grievance. 

" When  will  Mariano  and  his  warriors  ride?"  he  asked 
at  length,  in  as  quiet  a  tone  as  he  was  able  to  command. 

"When  the  shadows  measure  the  height  of  the  lodges  on 
the  ground.  Even  now,  the  runners  are  gone  to  bid  those 
who  will  go." 

"The  words  of  the  chief  are  all  good,"  said  To-me,  and 
turning  about,  he  walked  slowly  away  towards  the  lodge  of 
the  woman. 

The  dwarf  had  already  returned  from  a  search  for  more 
fuel,  bringing  an  armful  of  roots  and  of  sticks,  and  Po-lone 
was  busily  engaged  in  preparing  some  food  for  her  guest. 

"The  chief  rides  to-day,  to  the  North,"  said  To-me,  as 
he  entered  the  lodge.  "Have  his  runners  bidden  Po-lone?" 

"Nay,"  said  the  woman,  "the  runners  have  passed  the 
lodge  often,  but  they  had  no  words  in  their  mouths  for 
Po-lone." 

"Then  Po-lone  cannot  go." 

"Hark,  now,  To-me,  Po-lone  rides  a  horse  well." 

"Yea,  but  no  squaw  in  the  nation  knows  better  the  cus- 
toms of  the  tribe,  than  Po-lone,"  said  To-me,  smiling 
quietly  as  he  spake.  "They  bind  one  with  thongs  which 
cannot  be  broken.  No  one  rides  with  the  chief  of  a  clan, 
unless  specially  bidden." 

"To-me's  mouth  is  larger  than  his  ears,"  said  the  woman 
testily.  "Po-lone  will  ride  with  the  chief,  or — " 

"Or  what  ?"  asked  To-me. 

"Or  she  will  take  down  her  ho-gan,  and  ride  from  the 
village  with  her  herd." 


44  XAH-^HE-TA. 

"Bueno  !"  exclaimed  To-me.  "The  heart  of  the  woman 
is  strong." 

But  Po-lone  need  not  have  given  herself  the  trouble  to  ex- 
hibit her  annoyance.  The  chief  had  no  intention  whatever 
to  treat  her  with  any  marked  act  of  discourtesy.  She  pos- 
sessed the  largest  herds  in  the  clan,  and  her  disaffection 
would  have  been  a  serious  blow  to  his  ambition  and  pride. 
But  he  was  most  anxious  now  to  accomplish  a  purpose, 
which  he  feared  might  be  defeated  if  Po-lone  should  ac- 
company him  on  his  journey  to  the  North.  He  intended, 
therefore,  to  withhold  the  invitation,  as  long  as  was  possible 
without  giving  oifense,  and  thus  finally  prevent  its  accept- 
ance. 

He  had  long  since  determined  to  purchase  the  daughter 
of  Po-lone,  and  he  had  heretofore  attempted  to  arrange  mat- 
ters in  such  manner  as  to  leave  a  quiet  field  for  himself,  and 
thus  prepare  the  way  to  secure  the  prize  in  due  time,  for  a 
small  consideration. 

Since  the  arrival  of  the  runner  of  the  head  chief  at  the 
lodge  of  the  woman,  he  had  regarded  him  as  a  dangerous 
rival,  and  had  been  constantly  in  fear  that  the  stout-hearted 
Po-lone,  and  the  impetuous  To-me,  would  accomplish  some 
unheard  of  transaction,  by  which  he  would  lose  the  girl  in 
the  end,  and  possibly  even,  the  good  name  of  his  clan  be 
brought  into  disrepute  in  the  nation.  It  was  his  present  pur- 
pose, therefore,  that  To-me  should  be  gotten  quietly  away,  as 
quickly  as  possible,  and  that  the  woman  and  her  daughter 
should  remain  behind  in  the  village.  So  far  as  To-me  was 
concerned,  the  chief  had  found  no  difficulty  in  accomplish- 
ing his  purpose,  but  it  remained  yet  to  be  seen  how  he  would 
succeed  in  his  efforts  to  control  the  movements  of  the 
woman. 

The  hour  of  departure  which  had  been  designated  by  the 


NAH-XEE-TA.  45 

chief  soon  arrived,  and  one  after  another,,  the  principal  men 
who  had  been  bidden  to  accompany  him  to  the  council,  rode 
out  of  the  village  on  the  trail  to  the  North.  Each  one  was 
followed  by  two  or  more  squaws,  riding  astride  on  rude 
sheep-skin  saddles,  and  by  one  or  more  peons,  driving  be- 
fore them  several  horses,  ladened  with  robes  and  with  blankets 
and  food.  It  was  expected  that  the  council  would  continue 
for  several  days,  as  had  always  been  the  custom  on  pre- 
vious occasions,  and  each  warrior,  therefore,  carried  with 
him,  such  supplies  as  he  deemed  would  be  necessary  for 
himself  and  his  squaws  and  his  peons,  during  their  absence. 
The  last  one  of  the  principal  men  of  the  clan  had  ridden 
from  the  village  before  the  chief  made  his  appearance  at 
the  entrance  of  his  ho-gan.  He  had  dressed  himself  with 
great  care,  and  was  resplendent  with  shining  glass  beads, 
and  buttons  of  silver.  His  long,  black  hair  had  been  care- 
fully plaited,  and  arranged  in  a  mass  at  the  back  of  his 
*head,  where  it  was  held  in  its  place  by  a  red  ribbon  of  wool. 
From  the  pendant  ends  of  the  ribbon,  several  immense 
feathers  were  attached,  one  after  the  other  at  short  intervals 
apart.  He  wore  a  new  hunting  shirt  made  of  deer  skin, 
and  trousers  which  came  to  his  knees.  Tight  fitting  leg- 
gings, extended  from  his  knees  to  his  feet,  partially  con- 
cealing the  upper  portion  of  a  pair  of  new  moccasins,  mag- 
nificently embroidered  with  bright-colored  beads,  red  garnets 
and  rubies.  His  broad,  leathern  girdle  was  covered  with 
massive  buttons  of  silver,  each  as  large  as  the  palm  of  his 
hand,  and  engraved  with  rude  images  and  characters.  An 
embroidered  band  of  deer  skin  hung  over  his  shoulder,  to 
which  a  pouch  was  attached,  decorated  with  the  talons  of  an 
eagle,  and  the  claws  of  a  bear,  personal  trophies  of  his  skill 
in  the  chase.  His  hunting  knife  hung  conspicuously  from  his 
girdle,  and  a  beaver-skin  quiver,  containing  his  bow  and 


46  NAH-KEE-TA. 

some  arrows,  was  fastened  at  his  back.  A  multitude  of 
small,,  flat,  silver  buttons,  covered  the  outer  seams  of  his 
trousers  and  his  leggings.  Savage  ingenuity  had  exhausted 
itself,  and  had  left  nothing  desirable  undone. 

The  chief  strutted  back  and  forth  in  front  of  his  ho-gan, 
like  a  very  Marquis  of  Oarabas,  his  soul  full  of  pride  and 
conceit,  and  his  vanity  flattered  by  the  admiration  of  his 
squaws.  At  last,  mounting  his  horse  which  stood  ready 
waiting,  he  rode  directly  to  the  lodge  of  Po-lone,  followed 
by  two  runners,  a  small  herd  of  horses  and  a  few  peons  and 
squaws. 

"Ho,  there  I"  he  cried,  reining  in  his  horse  at  the  entrance 
to  the  lodge  of  the  woman.  "Has  Po-lone  ridden  away 
with  the  warriors,  and  left  no  one  in  charge  of  her  ho-gan  ?" 

Even  while  he  spake,  Po-lone  stood  in  full  view,  engaged 
at  some  work  in  her  lodge.  But  he  affected  not  to  see  her, 
and  addressing  himself  to  the  dwarf,  who  had  made  his 
appearance  at  the  entrance,  he  exclaimed: 

"Oh,  ho!  Mariano  judged  the  woman  unwisely.  She 
has  ridden  to  the  North,  and  left  Che-no  in  charge  of  her 
ho-gan.  That  is  wise,"  he  said  patronizingly.  "The 
woman  is  wise." 

"Nay,"  replied  the  woman  herself,  stepping  out  of  the 
lodge  as  she  spake.  "Po-lone  has  not  ridden  to  the  North." 

"How  soon  will  she  ride  ?"  he  asked  quickly. 

"  Why  does  the  chief  ask  ?  Only  those  ride  who  are 
bidden." 

"Non-tol-tosh!"  cried  the  chief  fiercely,  turning  as  he 
spake  to  one  of  the  runners.  "Why  has  not  the  woman 
been  bidden  ?" 

"The  chief  spake  not  her  name,"  replied  the  runner 
decidedly. 

"Ah!"   he  said  quietly,   and  turning  to  the  woman  he 


NAH-NEE-TA.  47 

added  in  a  low,  troubled  tone,  "it  is  bad.  But  come  now/' 
he  added  again  after  a  short  silence.  "Let  the  woman 
hasten  her  work,  and  make  ready  to  ride.  Run,  quickly, 
Che-no/'  he  cried  to  the  dwarf.  "Run  quick  to  the  herd, 
and  drive  in  the  horses  to  the  lodge." 

"Nay,"  said  the  woman,  "the  sun  is  nearly  over  the  top 
of  the  lodge.  Let  the  chief  delay  no  longer  for  Po-lone." 

"The  heart  of  Mariano  is  sad,"  he  said,  slowly,  affecting 
great  disappointment,  "because  Po-lone  will  not  ride. 
But  she  is  wise,"  he  continued  in  a  more  cheerful  tone, 
"and  knows  best  what  she  should  do.  She  will  stay  in  her 
ho-gan  and  take  good  care  of  Nah-nee-ta,  and  when  Mariano 
rides  back  from  the  council,  he  will  'send  two  of  the  best 
horses  in  his  herd  to  the  woman,  and  Nah-nee-ta  shall  come 
and  live  in  the  lodge  of  the  chief." 

Mariano  flattered  himself,  as  he  rode  slowly  away,  that 
his  personal  appearance  had  contributed  no  little  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  purpose,  and  this  pleasant  reflection, 
more  than  his  apparent  success,  made  him  supremely  happy 
for  the  time.  As  soon  as  he  was  well  out  of  sight  of  the 
village,  he  urged  his  horse  forward,  and  rode  rapidly  away 
on  the  trail  of  the  warriors,  closely  followed  by  his  runners, 
while  the  squaws  and  the  peons  came  011  after  with  the  herd, 
in  the  best  way  they  could. 

As  he  disappeared  from  her  view,  Po-lone  turned  quickly 
about  and  entered  her  lodge. 

"The  }roung  chief  has  two  tongues,"  she  murmured. 
"  He  talks  to  Po-lone  with  the  one  that  is  crooked,  and  he 
talks  to  himself  with  the  other.  Po-lone  will  hearken  to 
the  tongue  she  has  heard,  and  the  heart  of  the  chief  will 
then  surely  be  sad.  Run  quick  now  Che-no  !"  she  cried  to 
the  dwarf.  "Run  quick  to  the  herd,  and  drive  in  the 
horses.  There  is  no  one  in  the  village,  so  fleet  on  his  feet, 


48  STAH-NEE-TA. 

as  Che-no  cliiquito.  Let  Po-lone  see  now,  how  quick  he  can 
go." 

The  dwarf  thus  encouraged,  ran  speedily  out  of  the  village 
on  his  way  to  the  pastures,  and  in  a  short  time  returned, 
driving  a  number  of  horses  before  him.  It  required  but  a 
very  brief  time  for  Po-lone  to  complete  her  preparations, 
and  an  hour  had  scarcely  elapsed  before  she  rode  out  of  the 
village  accompanied  by  her  daughter,  and  followed  by  the 
dwarf  driving  several  horses  before  him,  ladeiied  with 
"blankets  and  robes,  and  some  parcels  of  food. 

Po-lone  at  once  took  the  trail  of  the  chief,  and  rode 
steadily  on.  It  led  presently  down  in  a  valley  which  lay 
almost  concealed  at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  precipitous  moun- 
tains on  one  side,  and  a  broken  irregular  mountain  range, 
densely  covered  with  a  forest  of  pinon  and  pine,  on  the  other. 
Occasionally  the  valley  was  almost  entirely  closed  by  the 
encroachment  of  deep  gorges,  and  immense  fields  of  rock, 
pushing  down  from  the  broken  mountains  on  the  West.  In 
such  places  the  trail  was  forced  close  up  to  the  perpendicular 
wall,  sometimes  passing  over  great  masses  of  earth  and  of 
rocks,  which  at  no  very  remote  period,  had  fallen  from  the 
face  of  the  mountain.  When  Po-lone  reached  these  eleva- 
tions, she  often  caught  sight  of  the  trail  leading  away  up 
the  valley  for  a  long  distance  before  her,  and  several  times 
she  obtained  a  full  view  of  the  lazy  warriors,  riding  leisurely 
ahead,  closely  followed  by  their  squaws  and  their  peons  and 
herds. 

She  had  often  ridden  over  this  trail,  and  was  entirely 
familiar  with  it,  throughout  its  entire  extent.  At  the 
distance  of  a  short  day's  ride  from  the  village,  the  broken 
mountains  suddenly  encroached  upon  the  valley,  and  con- 
verted it  into  a  canon  that  extended  for  a  couple  of  miles  to 
the  West,  and  opened  at  last  into  a  great  broad  valley  be- 


A.  49 

yond.  Near  the  middle  of  the  canon,,  a  great  stream  of 
water  burst  from  the  base  of  the  mountain,,  and,  almost 
immediately,  again  disappeared  in  the  rocks.  Not  far  from 
this  place  she  knew  that  the  chief  would  halt  for  the  night. 
She  moved  along  leisurely,  therefore,  not  caring  to  arrive 
until  the  encampment  had  been  formed.  At  last,  just  as  the 
first  shades  of  the  evening  were  beginning  to  fall,  she  made 
her  appearance  in  the  encampment,  and  rode  quietly  about, 
in  such  manner  as  to  attract  general  attention,  in  search  of 
a  favorable  location  to  make  her  camp  for  the  night. 

At  first,  the  young  chief  felt  greatly  annoyed  that  the 
woman  had  followed  his  party,  and  he  decided  at  once  to 
publicly  announce  that  she  had  violated  the  customs  of  the 
nation,  in  thus  following  the  trail  of  a  chief,  without  being 
formally  bidden  by  the  runners.  But  such  a  course  he  soon 
reflected,  would  in  all  probability  cause  her  to  withdraw  from 
his  clan,  and  might  possibly  break  up  the  negotiations  he 
had  then  in  progress  for  the  purchase  of  her  daughter. 
Besides,  the  more  he  thought  upon  the  subject,  the  more 
convinced  he  became,  that  his  own  course  in  the  matter, 
would  not  meet  the  approval  of  the  people  of  his  clan.  He 
decided,  therefore,  at  length,  to  accept  the  situation  as  in- 
evitable, and  make  the  best  of  it  he  could.  Calling  one  of 
his  squaws  to  him,  he  sent  her  directly  to  say  to  Po-lone, 
that  "the  heart  of  the  chief  was  made  glad,  because  the 
woman  had  come/' 

Immense  fires  soon  lighted  up  the  encampment,  and 
revealed  a  weird,  busy  scene.  Several  peons  and  squaws 
were  engaged  here  and  there,  making  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions to  prevent  the  horses  from  straying  from  the  camp 
during  the  night.  Others  were  moving  rapidly  about 
gathering  wood  for  the  fire,  and  a  few  were  busily  engaged 
in  cooking  the  evening  meal  for  their  masters  and  them- 


50  KAH-NEE-TA. 

selves.  The  warriors  alone  appeared  to  have  nothing  to  do, 
They  waited  indolently  about,  squatted  down  on  the  ground, 
until  the  squaws  could  find  time  from  their  work  to  spread 
robes  on  the  ground  for  their  use. 

At  last  all  the  work  of  the  camp  was  completed.  The 
necessary  fuel  had  been  gathered.  All  the  horses  had  been 
tethered,  and  the  evening  meal  had  been  served.  The  war- 
riors grunted  their  approval,  and  soon  retired  to  their  robes, 
and  the  squaws  wrapping  themselves  in  their  blankets,  laid 
down  at  the  feet  of  their  masters.  A  deep  silence  fell  on 
the  encampment.  The  fires  burned  low,  and  fantastic  shad- 
ows chased  one  another  up  and  down  the  great  perpendicu- 
lar wall  of  the  canon.  Finally  the  fires  went  out  altogether, 
and  the  light  faded  away  in  dense,  black  darkness. 

At  the  first  appearance  of  the  light  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, the  party  was  speedily  awakened  by  the  watchmen. 
Preparations  for  departure  were  then  hurriedly  made,  and 
when  all  things  were  ready  the  warriors  mounted  their 
horses  and  rode  rapidly  away  up  the  canon,  followed  by 
their  dependents  and  herds. 

The  distance  to  the  great  council  chamber  from  the  place 
of  the  encampment  was  considerably  less  than  a  full  day's 
journey  for  the  party,  and  when  the  warriors  had  gotten 
well  out  of  the  canon  they  slackened  their  speed  and  rode 
slowly  forward,  reserving  the  strength  of  their  horses  fora 
grand  display  of  their  training  and  speed  on  arriving  at  the 
mouth  of  the  great  council  canon.  The  chief  regarded  it  as 
probable  that  one  or  more  of  the  great  clans  from  the  North 
had  already  arrived,  and  he  desired  to  exhibit  before  them 
the  marvelous  speed  of  his  horses,  and  the  magnificent  rid- 
ing of  the  warriors  of  his  clan. 

Displays  of  this  kind  were  commonly  made  by  all  mounted 
parties  of  warriors  at  the  close  of  their  journeys,  unless 


IJTAH-BTEE-TA.  51 

some  calamity  had  befallen  them  while  on  the  way.  And  it 
had  frequently  happened  on  unimportant  occasions  that  the 
chief  of  the  clans  had  purposely  delayed  their  arrival,  to  se- 
cure a  large  audience  to  witness  the  displays  they  intended. 
Mariano  would  now  also  have  gladly  delayed  for  this  pur- 
pose, but  the  message  of  the  head  chief  was  urgent,  and  re- 
quired immediate  compliance.  He  therefore  moved  steadily 
forward  until  the  country  about  the  entrance  to  the  great 
council  canon  was  in  view.  Here  the  warriors  dismounted 
from  their  horses  to  tighten  the  girths  of  their  saddles,  and 
to  make  such  other  preparations  as  were  necessary  for  the 
contemplated  display.  When  all  these  were  completed  they 
mounted  once  more,  and  rode  forward  again. 


Y. 

The  watchman  stationed  at  the  entrance  to  the  canon,  a 
few  hundred  yards  from  the  great  council  chamber,  shaded 
his  eyes  with  his  hand  and  looked  intently  before  him,  over 
a  broad,  level  plain,  that  stretched  away  to  the  base  of  a  great 
mountain, range  on  the  east.  The  runners  had  already  been 
absent  for  several  days,  and  the  arrival  of  some  of  the  chiefs 
of  the  clans  with  their  principal  men,  was  now  constantly  ex- 
pected. A  great  herd  of  ponies,  belonging  to  the  clan  of 
the  head  chief,  Barbon-ce-to,  was  quietly  grazing  not  far 
away  in  the  valley.  Beyond,  away  up  to  the  base  •  of  the 
mountain,  not  a  living  thing  could  be  seen.  To  the  north 
and  to  the  east,  as  far  as  the  watchman  could  see,  the  plain 
was  deserted.  The  savage  turned  his  head  wearily,  and 
gazed  for  a  moment  to  the  south.  Minute,  black  objects, 
scarcely  discernable,  even  to  the  practiced  eye  of  the  watch- 
man, were  moving  about  near  the  horizon,  quivering  and 
trembling  like  uneasy  spirits  in  the  burdened  air. 

"Muchacho  !  Muchacho  I"  cried  the  savage  at  length,  to 
a  little  naked  urchin  who  stood  near  him.  "Run  quick  to 
the  chief,  and  say  that  the  watchman  sees  horsemen,  far 
away  in  the  south/' 

In  the  meantime  the  black  objects  gradually  came 
nearer,  assuming  mere  forms  as  they  came.  They  grew  tall 
and  slender,  and  moved  up  and  down  with  uncertain  and 
fantastic  motion.  At  length  they  began  to  acquire  more 
definite  shape,  and  the  exaggerated  outlines  of  horses  and 
men  could  be  discerned.  These  in  their  turn,  gradually 
gave  way  to  more  natural  forms,  and  eventually  a  great  cav- 
alcade of  mounted  savages  suddenly  burst  out  of  the  mirage 
and  galloped  in  full  view  towards  the  entrance  of  the  canon. 

52 


STAH-NEE-TA.  53 

Upon  being  informed  of  the  approach  of  the  horsemen, 
the  head  chief  at  once  hastened  to  the  entrance  of  the  canon 
and  took  a  conspicuous  position  on  a  great  flat  rock  by  the 
side  of  the  watchman,  to  honor  their  arrival  by  his  presence, 
In  the  meantime  a  large  number  of  the  people  of  his  clan 
hurried  to  the  tops  of  the  great  rocks  that  lay  about  the 
north  of  the  canon,,  to  witness  the  anticipated  display  of  the 
clan  from  the  South. 

But  the  people  were  doomed  to  disappointment.  Mariano 
had  observed  as  he  approached,  that  not  one  of  the  chiefs  of 
all  the  clans  of  the  nation,  had  yet  arrived  at  the  canon. 
He  decided,  therefore,  that  he  would  make  no  display,  and 
hastened  forward  at  once  to  complete  the  brief  ceremony, 
which  custom  was  required  from  representative  of  a  clan,  on 
his  arrival  in  the  presence  of  the  head  chief  of  the  nation.  Gal- 
loping rapidly  forward  at  the  head  of  his  warriors,  he 
wheeled  them  quickly  into  line,  and  brought  them  to  a  halt 
in  front  of  the  canon.  When  this  movement  was  completed 
he  rode  forward  a  short  distance  alone,  and  then  dismounted 
before  the  head  chief,  as  an  expression  of  respect  and  sub- 
mission. So  soon  as  this  formal  act  had  been  acknowledged, 
he  again  mounted  his  horse  and  returned  to  his  warriors. 
Wheeling  them  about  he  rode  rapidly  away  in  the  direction 
from  which  he  had  come. 

When  he  had  ridden  a  fair  hundred  yards  from  the  en- 
trance of  the  canon,  he  drew  a  barbed  arrow  from  his  quiver, 
and  sent  it  from  his  bow  to  a  great  height  in  the  air.  It 
fell  to  the  earth  and  imbedded  itself  in  the  ground,  almost  to 
the  feather.  Eiding  to  the  spot  he  hastily  dismounted,  and 
taking  his  buckskin  lariat  from  his  saddle,  he  sent  it  spin- 
ning in  a  coil  about  the  arrow.  He  had  thus  chosen  his 
camping  ground  for  himself  and  his  clan,  and  the  arrow 
from  his  quiver  was  suffered  to  remain  where  it  fell,  as  a, 


54  NAH-KEE-TA. 

silent  witness  of  his  right  to  the  place,  which  no  one  would 
dare  to  dispute. 

The  squaws  and  the  peons  soon  arrived  with  the  herds, 
and  the  encampment  was  speedily  formed. 

As  soon  as  it  became  apparent  that  the  clan  of  Mariano 
would  not  make  a  display,  the  head  chief  retired  into  the 
canon  by  the  way  he  had  come,  and  the  people  rapidly  dis- 
persed from  the  rocks.  They  had  scarcely  all  found  their 
way  down,  when  the  watchman  gave  notice  that  a  great 
party  of  horsemen  was  approaching  from  the  north.  The 
rocks  about  the  mouth  of  the  canon  were  almost  immediately 
covered  again  with  the  people.  One  of  the  great  clans  from 
the  north  was  approaching,  and  to  sustain  its  reputation,  a 
grand  display  of  the  horsemanship  of  its  warriors  would 
doubtless  be  made.  The  disappointment  which  the  people 
had  experienced  on  the  arrival  of  the  clan  from  the  south, 
had  apparently  increased  their  eagerness  to  witness  a  dis- 
play, and  they  crowded  and  jostled  each  other  in  their  ef- 
forts to  obtain  desirable  places  on  the  rocks. 

The  young  chief  had  established  his  camp  directly  south 
of  the  entrance  to  the  canon,  and  near  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain through  which  it  passed.  The  base  of  the  mountain 
near  his  encampment  was  fringed  with  great  rocks  which 
had  been  detached  from  its  side  and  had  fallen  below. 

Mariano  and  his  warriors  hastened  to  these  rocks,  and 
selecting  those  most  accessible,  clambered  to  their  summits. 
The  great  plain  lay  spread  out  before  them,  bathed  in  a 
flood  of  soft  sunlight,  that  fell  gently  upon  it  through  the 
dense,  hazy  air. 

The  head  chief  again  made  his  appearance  at  the  entrance 
to  the  canon,  and  took  his  formal  place  by  the  side  of  the 
watchman.  The  busy  voices  of  the  women  and  the  peons 
rose  in  a  volume  at  times,  like  an  impatient  murmur,  and 


KAH-KEE-TA.  ,  55 

lingered  in  the  caverns  among  the  great  rocks.  The  war- 
riors stood  apart  from  each  other  wrapped  in  their  blankets, 
silent  and  motionless  as  statues. 

As  the  horsemen  approached  nearer,  the  people  on  the 
rocks  recognized  the  chief  riding  in  advance. 

"It  is  the  clan,  of  the  war  chief ,"  they  cried  one  to  an- 
other, "and  Manu-le-to  himself  rides  before  if." 

This  clan  was  the  largest  in  the  nation,  and  its  warriors 
bore  the  reputation  of  being  most  accomplished  as  horse- 
men. Its  chief  was  a  warrior  of  renown  who  for  a  long 
time  had  held  the  office  of  war-chief  of  the  nation,  a  position 
scarcely  less  important  than  that  held  by  the  head  chief 
himself. 

To  the  war-chief  was  invariably  intrusted  the  supreme 
control  of  all  the  chiefs  of  the  clans,  and  their  warriors 
under  them,  when  their  services  were  required  on  the  war- 
path. He  wa's,  in  short,  the  commander-in-chief  of  all  the 
forces  of  the  nation  when  called  out  by  the  head  chief  or 
the  council. 

The  authority  of  the  two  chiefs  was  clearly  defined  by  the 
condition  of  public  affairs.  The  one  was  supreme  when  the 
nation  was  at  peace,  the  other  when  the  nation  was  at  war. 

Manu-le-to  rode  in  front  of  his  warriors,  galloping  quietly 
along  near  the  base  of  the  mountain  towards  the  entrance  to 
the  canon.  At  a  signal,  his  followers  formed  suddenly  in 
line,  and  swept  past  the  spectators  in  perfect  order,  like  a 
troop  of  trained  cavalry.  When  they  had  gone  fairly  past 
they  wheeled  quickly  about,  and  urging  their  horses  to 
greater  speed  than  before,  once  more  swept  over  the  ground. 
When  they  arrived  at  a  point  directly  in  front  of  the  head 
chief,  they  suddenly  wheeled  to  the  left  and  instantly  came 
to  a  halt  facing  the  canon. 

Manu-le-to  then  dismounted  in  token  of  submission  to  the 


56  KAH-JsTEE-TA. 

authority  of  the  head  chief  of  the  nation,  and  advanced  a 
few  paces  towards  him.  The  head  chief  bowed  in  response, 
and  Manu-le-to  turning  immediately  to  his  horse,  mounted 
quickly  again,  and  rode  back  to  his  warriors.  As  he 
reached  them,  those  on  the  right  of  the  center  of  the  line 
moved  forward  a  short  distance,  and  turning  their  horses 
rode  back  to  their  places,  leaving  an  unoccupied  space  of 
several  feet  between  the  platoons.  Those  on  the  left  of  the 
line  still  faced  to  the  west,  while  those  on  the  right  now 
faced  to  the  east. 

'  At  a  signal,  the  platoons  began  to  move  in  a  circle  like 
the  arms  of  a  great  wheel  revolving  about  on  its  axis.  At 
first  they  moved  slowly,  but  their  speed  gradually  increased 
until  the  two  arms  at  last  revolved  with  such  wonderful 
rapidity  that  their  identity  was  almost  lost  to  the  view  of 
the  people.  A  great  cloud  of  dust  arose  quickly  about  them 
and  finally  concealed  them  entirely  from  view.  In  an  in- 
stant, thereafter,  the  platoons  reappeared,  one  flying  to  the 
north  and  the  other  to  the  soutfc.  The  great  cloud  of  dust 
ascended  in  the  air,  and  continued  the  motion  it  had  re- 
ceived from  the  circling  platoons.  At  last  it  resolved  itself 
into  a  whirlwind  and  swept  with  tremendous  violence 
across  the  great  plain  to  the  east. 

The  platoons  at  length  wheeled  once  more  about,  and 
came  sweeping  back  in  the  same  order  as  before.  They 
passed  by  the  chief  at  almost  the  same  instant,  the  right 
horseman  of  one  of  the  platoons  and  the  left  horseman  of 
the  other,  barely  missing  him  as  they  passed.  Arriving  at 
the  extremities  of  the  course,  the  platoons  once  more 
wheeled  about,  and  came  flying  back  towards  each  other 
again.  The  chief  speedily  moved  from  between  them  and 
gave  a  signal  with  his  hand.  Instantly  each  warrior  threw 
himself  on  the  side  of  his  horse  out  of  view  of  the  people. 


NAH-NEE-TA.  57 

The  horses,  now  apparently  riderless,  continued  their  flight 
without  in  the  least  abating  their  wonderful  speed.  When 
the  platoons  arrived  near  to  each  other,  the  riders  suddenly 
made  their  appearance  on  the  backs  of  their  horses.  Many 
of  them  rose  to  their  knees,  some  sprang  to  their  feet,  all  of 
them  drew  their  tomahawks  or  their  knives,  and,  with  loud 
shouts  and  yells,  they  rode  pell-mell  against  one  another, 
brandishing  their  weapons  the  meanwhile,  and  striking  to 
the  right  and  to  the  left  in  the  most  extravagant  and  des- 
perate manner.  An  instant  thereafter  the  platoons  passed 
through  each  other,  as  neatly  and  completely  as  ones  fingers 
are  passed  when  the  hands  are  clasped  together. 

Once  more  the  platoons  reached  the  ends  of  the  course, 
and  again  wheeling  about,  came  rushing  at  each  other  with 
tremendous  force.  Again  the  battle  charge  was  repeated, 
and  again  the  platoons  passed  through  each  other,  with 
amazing  skill  and  precision.  Then  they  wheeled  on  the 
same  ground  as  before,  and  almost  instantly  came  to  a  halt. 

An  apparently  riderless  horse  now  sprang  immediately 
from  one  of  the  platoons,  and  ran  at  great  speed  along  the 
course.  When  he  reached  a  point  opposite  the  canon,  a 
warrior  raised  himself  from  his  concealment  on  the  side  of 
the  animal,  and  springing  to  his  feet,  discharged  a  number 
of  harmless  reed  arrows,  in  rapid  succession  at  the  people. 
Finally,  he  sent  one  directly  before  him,  and  seizing  the 
mane  of  his  horse,  he  sprang  nimbly  to  the  ground,  as  he 
dashed  past  the  spot  when  it  lay,  and  seized  it  with  his 
hand.  In  an  instant  he  sprang  again  on  the  back  of  his 
horse  and  waved  the  arrow  triumphantly  over  his  head. 
Turning  his  horse  quickly  about,  he  rode  back  to  his  pla- 
toon, and  was  received  by  his  comrades  with  shouts  of  ap- 
plause. 

The  rival  platoon  answered  these  shouts  with  yells  of  de- 


58  NAH-NEE-TA. 

fiance,  and  at  once  sent  a  champion  out  on  the  course  to 
make  a  still  more  marvelous  display.  He  rode  forward  at  a 
tremendous  pace,  stretched  out  at  full  length  upon  the  back 
of  his  horse,  his  feet  locked  together  on  the  animaFs  breast. 
Suddenly  he  threw  himself  forward  and  revolved  several 
times  in  rapid  succession  about  the  animals  neck.  Instantly 
a  great  shout  arose  from  his  comrades,  at  both  ends  of  the 
course,  and  the  excited  people  joined  with  them,  and  pro- 
longed the  applause  until  the  champion  returned  to  hig 
place. 

Another  rider  now  galloped  out  from  the  other  platoon. 
When  he  arrived  near  the  center  of  the  course,  he  sprang 
suddenly  to  the  ground,  and  permitted  his  horse  to  escape. 
As  the  animal  galloped  away  he  called  it  by  name,  and  bade 
it  return.  The  obedient  creature,  at  once  turned  and  gal- 
loped towards  him.  As  it  c#me  near,  the  warrior  ran  for- 
ward to  meet  it,  and  sprang  upon  its  back  without  arresting 
its  speed. 

Again  a  champion  appeared  from  the  rival  platoon,  gal- 
loping quietly  along  the  course.  When  he  arrived  nearly 
opposite  the  entrance  to  the  canon,  he  sprang  from  his  horse, 
and  fell  to  the  ground.  The  animal  stopped  instantly,  and 
walked  slowly  about  the  prostrate  form  of  his  master.  At 
last  the  horse  touched  him  with  its  nose,  and  pushed  him 
with  some  force.  His  master  then  arose  to  his  feet,  and 
springing  upon  the  animaFs  back,  returned  to  his  place. 

Two  warriors  now  rode  from  each  of  the  platoons,  and 
hastened  to  meet  on  the  course.  As  they  came  near  to  each 
other,  they  threw  themselves  on  the  sides  of  their  horses, 
and  began  circling  around  one  another,  and  discharging  reed 
arrows,  as  though  actually  engaged  in  a  battle.  At  last, 
one  of  the  warriors  feigned  he  was  wounded,  and  fell  from 
his  horse  to  the  ground.  The  animal  immediately  galloped 


NAH-ISTEE-TA.  59 

away,  but  at  the  call  of  his  master  returned  to  him  again. 
The  warrior  then  feigned  that  he  was  unable  to  remount,  and 
after  several  attempts,  lay  down  on  the  ground.  His  com- 
panion hastened  to  his  assistance,  and  seizing  him  by  his 
strong  leathern  girdle  raised  him  up  before  him  on  his 
horse.  Then  instantly  detaching  his  lariat  from  his  saddle, 
he  cast  the  loop  dextrously  over  the  head  of  the  horse  of  his 
wounded  companion,  and  at  once  galloped  away  at  full 
speed,  hotly  pursued  for  a  while,  by  the  warriors  who 
feigned  the  part  of  his  enemies. 

Manu-le-to  now  signaled  his  warriors  to  advance,  and 
having  formed  them  again  into  line,  rode  on  before  them 
until  he  arrived  near  the  ground  occupied  by  the  clan  of  the 
young  chief.  Then  seizing  an  arrow  from  his  quiver  he  sent 
it  from  his  bow  to  a  great  height  in  the  air.  When  it  fell 
to  the  ground  he  rode  hastily  to  the  spot,  and  dismounting 
from  his  horse,  coiled  his  lariat  about  it.  His  squaws  and 
his  peons,  who  had  been  waiting  near  by,  now  rode  forward 
with  the  herds,  and  the  encampment  of  the  war  chief  was 
speedily  formed. 

Night  soon  came  on,  and  little  fires  sprang  up  here  and 
there  throughout  the  encampment.  The  warriors  gathered 
in  groups,  and  sat  smoking,  and  gravely  talking  upon  sub- 
jects of  common  interest  to  all.  The  squaws  also  gathered 
in  groups  by  themselves,  and  talked  glibly  to  one  another 
about  the  blankets  they  had  made  since  the  last  council  met, 
and  praised  the  horses  in  the  herds  of  utheir  masters,  and 
retailed  the  gossip  of  their  village. 

Po-lone  could  not  mingle  with  the  women.  Neither 
could  she  sit  in  the  groups  with  the  men.  The  women 
were  servants,  and  the  men  were  all  warriors.  She  was 
simply  a  person  holding  a  position  above  the  common  lot  of 
her  sex,  by  virtue  of  her  possessions.  She  sat  by  her  fire 


60  NAH-NEE-TA. 

quietly  conversing  with  her  daughter,  and  listening  now 
and  then  to  the  busy  voices  of  the  women  about  her. 

Nah-nee-ta  had  never  before  witnessed  such  wonderful 
displays  as  she  had  witnessed  that  day,  and  for  a  time,  she 
could  think  of  nothing  but  the  trained,  flying  horses,  and 
the  marvelous  deeds  of  their  riders.  Po-lone  finally  grew 
weary  with  answering  her  questions,  and  the  girl  longed  for 
some  one  with  whom  she  could  talk.  If  To-me  would  only 
come,  he  could  tell  her  the  names  of  the  riders,  and  how 
they  had  learned  to  accomplish  such  wonderful  things. 

But  where  was  To-me  !  He  had  left  the  encampment  in 
the  canon,  she  had  heard,  at  some  time  during  the  night, 
but  no  one  could  tell  her  where  he  had  gone.  She  had 
looked  for  him  in  every  direction  all  the  day  long.  She 
grew  weary,  at  last,  with  her  thoughts,  and  [sinking  down 
on  her  robe,  fell  fast  asleep. 

Po-lone  at  once  rose  to  her  feet,  and  wrapping  her 
blanket  about  her,  stole  quietly  away.  Approaching  the 
nearest  'group  of  the  warriors,  she  stopped  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  it,  and  concealed  by  the  darkness,  gazed  at  the 
warriors  intently. 

"  He  is  not  among  them,"  she  said  at  length,  to  herself, 
and  passed  on  to  continue  her  search. 

Po-lone  was  once  more  sorely  perplexed.  To-me  had  not 
given  so  hearty  an  acquiescence  to  the  proposal  she  had 
made,  as  she  could  have  desired,  and  she  feared  that  the 
young  man  had  taken  himself  away  to  avoid  further  com- 
mittal. That  he  had  absented  himself  now,  at  so  important 
a  time,  served  further  to  strengthen  her  fears.  It  was  barely 
possible,  however,  that  he  had  gone  on  some  duty,  and  had 
been  unexpectedly  delayed.  She  would  have  given  the  best 
horse  in  the  herd  for  any  reasonable  assurance  that  her  fears 
had  been  needlessly  awakened. 


KAH-ifEE-TA.  61 

She  moved  noiselessly  about  from  one  group  to  another, 
listening  to  the  voices  of  the  warriors  as  they  conversed 
among  themselves,  not  caring  to  hear  what  was  said,  but 
listening  only  for  the  voice  of  To-me.  She  listened  in  vain. 
To-me  was  not  among  them,  and  she  returned  at  length  to 
her  fire,  more  perplexed,  if  it  were  possible,  than  ever. 

She  had  scarcely  again  taken  her  seat  when  she  was 
startled  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  strange-looking  man 
standing  near  her,  and  gazing  intently  in  her  face.  She 
had  heard  no  approaching  footsteps  to  warn  her  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  mysterious  stranger,  and  her  mind  was  at  once 
filled  with  the  most  serious  apprehensions.  She  was  only 
able  to  attribute  his  noiseless  approach  to  the  exercise  of 
some  supernatural  power,  and  she  returned  his  fixed  gaze 
with  undisguised  astonishment  and  awe. 

At  length  she  glanced  furtively  about  her,  with  the  hope 
that  some  one  might  be  near,  upon  whom  she  could  depend 
for  assistance.  A  few  squaws  sat  chattering  together  in  a 
group  about  a  little  fire  not  very  far  from  her,  but  she  re- 
flected at  once,  that  her  first  cry  of  alarm  would  frighten 
them  away.  Turning  again  to  the  stranger,  she  looked 
once  more  in  his  face.  He  still  stood  in  the  place  where  he 
had  made  his  appearance,  apparently  waiting  until  she 
should  recover  her  composure.  His  kindly  face  served  in 
some  manner  to  reassure  her,  and  she  gradually  gathered 
courage  to  observe  him  more  closely. 

He  was  richly  but  peculiarly  dressed.  His  hunting  shirt 
and  his  leggins  were  colored  intensly  black,  and  were  orna- 
mented extravagantly  with  small  silver  buttons.  A  crescent - 
shaped  amulet,  from  which  curious  charms  hung,  was  clasped 
on  his  neck  by  a  band,  made  from  the  bright  spotted  skin 
of  a  snake. 

"Whom  does  Po-lone  seek  among  the  warriors?"  he 
demanded  at  length,  in  a  tone  of  authority. 


62  NAH-KEE-TA. 

"Po-lone  seeks  no  one,"  she  replied  tremulously,  " 
knows  not  who  asks  her  the  question." 

"The  woman  hears  the  words  of  Me-su-la,  the  great 
medicine  man  of  the  clan  of  the  head  chief,  Barbon-ce-to," 
said  the  stranger,  with  great  deliberation. 

"The  feet  of  the  medicine  man  must  be  weary,"  said  Po- 
lone,  hastening  to  spread  a  robe  on  the  ground  for  his  use. 

"Yea,  the  feet  of  the  old  are  always  weary,"  he  said; 
and  throwing  his  blanket  aside,  he  seated  himself  on  the 
robe. 

"How  came  Me-su-la  so  noiselessly  to  the  fire  ?"  she  asked, 
timorously.  "Did  he  drop  from  the  clouds,  or  did  he  come 
up  from  the  caverns  in  the  earth  ?" 

"Me-su-la  followed  the  woman  to  her  fire,  but  her  ears 
were  both  closed  to  the  noise  of  his  feet.  " 

The  old  man  then  bowed  his  head  on  his  breast  and 
covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  and  for  some  time  remained 
silent.  In  the  meanwhile,  the  woman  sat  quietly  in  her 
place,  watching  the  fire  as  it  burned,  and  patiently  waiting 
for  the  medicine  man  to  make  known  the  object  of  his  visit. 
At  last  he  raised  up  his  head,  and  looking  at  her  intently, 
said  sternly: 

"The  woman  is  in  trouble/" 

"Let  Me-su-la  speak  on,"  she  replied. 

"Let  Po-lone  answer,  if  she  will,  or  Me-su-la  will  find  no 
more  words  in  his  mouth." 

"Po-lone  is  in  trouble,"  she  said  hesitatingly. 

"Because  she  could  not  hear  the  voice  of  the  runner, 
To-me  ?" 

"Yea,  the  words  of  the  medicine  man  are  all  true.  He 
has  heard  the  Great  Spirit  speak,  and  knows  many  things/" 

"The  woman  is  wise/"  he  said  quietly.  "  She  must  have 
patience,  and  wait.  The  light  of  the  sun  will  scarcely  drive 


XAH-NEE-TA.  63 

the  shadows  from  the  valleys  again,  before  the  runner  will 
return.  The  daughter  of  the  woman  will  be  happy  in  the 
lodge  of  To-me." 

"Nay  I"  she  cried  hurriedly,  "he  desires  not — 
"Desires  not  the  maiden!"  interrupted  Me-su-la  in  a 
tone  of  astonishment.  "Po-lone  has  not  looked  well  in 
his  face,  nor  hearkened  aright  to  his  words.  Listen  now  to 
the  words  of  the  medicine  man.  To-me  will  take  the  girl 
to  his  lodge.  Whoever  says  nay,  and  stands  in  the  way, 
will  offend  the  Great  Spirit.  Let  the  woman  cease  now  to 
trouble  herself.  Me-su-la  has  spoken. n 

Rising  slowly  to  his  feet  he  drew  his  blanket  about  him, 
and  walked  deliberately  away,  without  speaking  again.  Po- 
lone  watched  his  retreating  form  until  it  was  lost  in  the 
darkness,  and  then  springing  to  her  feet  she  walked  impatiently 
back  and  forth  in  front  of  her  fire. 

"Yea,"  she  murmured,  at  length,  to  herself,  "the  medi- 
cine man  has  spoken  to  Po-lone,  and  she  has  heard  all  his 
words.  But  the  end  is  not  }ret.  Me-su-la  must  talk  once 
again  with  the  Great  Spirit.  He  s^hall  choose  a  horse  from 
the  herd  of  the  woman,  and  then  he  may  hear  words  to 
gladden  her  heart." 

Po-lone  was  evidently  well  pleased  with  the  course  she  had 
determined  to  pursue,  and  she  nodded  her  head  confidently, 
as  though  she  already  foresaw  its  eventual  success.  She 
came  back  directly  and  resumed  her  seat  at  the  fire,  as 
quietly  and  unconcernedly  as  though  nothing  whatever  had 
even  occurred  to  disturb  her  composure. 

She  had  scarcely  again  seated  herself,  when  the  camp  was 
suddenly  startled  by  a  cry  from  the  watchman.  The  war- 
riors sprang  instantly  to  their  feet,  and  hastened  to  the 
mouth  of  the  canon,  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  alarm.  They 
found  Barbon-ce-to  already  at  his  post  on  the  rocks,  await- 


64  NAH-NEE-TA. 

ing  their  arrival.  Addressieg  himself  to  the  war  chief 
Manu-le-to,  he  informed  him  that  one  of  his  runners  had 
discovered  a  number  of  strange  warriors  riding  rapidly 
down  from  the  north  towards  the  encampments.  No  time 
must  be  lost,  for  the  strangers  were  not  far  away.  If  they 
were  enemies,  they  must  not  be  permitted  to  reach  the  en- 
campments, and  if  they  should  prove  to  be  friends,  it  would 
be  desirable  to  know  what  had  prompted  their  journey  in 
the  country  of  the  nation  at  such  an  unusual  hour. 

The  warriors  dispersed  instantly,  and  ran  speedily  to  their 
several  encampments.  At  the  first  note  of  alarm,  the  squaws 
had  saddled  the  fleetest  horses  in  the  herds  and  now  held 
them  in  readiness  for  the  use  of  their  masters.  The  war- 
riors hastily  mounted  and  galloped  away,  and  soon  disap- 
peared in  the  darkness. 

To  the  north  of  the  country  occupied  by  the  Nation, 
lived  a  great  and  warlike  tribe  of  nomads,  known  as  the 
Utes.  The  Navajos  had  been  at  peace  with  this  tribe  for 
many  long  years,  but  there  now  existed  some  cause  for  com- 
plaint. The  Utes  had  encroached  upon  the  pasture  grounds 
of  the  nation,  and  some  acts  of  violence  had  already  been 
committed.  It  was  possible,  therefore,  that  the  strangers 
might  be  a  strong  party  of  Utes,  rough  riding  through  the 
country,  taking  advantage  of  the  temporary  absence  of  the 
chiefs  and  the  principal  men  of  the  clans,  to  capture  their 
horses  and  burn  their  ho-gans. 

The  two  chiefs  rode  forward  together,  closely  followed  by 
their  warriors.  Not  a  word  had  been  uttered  since  they  had 
ridden  from  the  encampments,  and  the  great  silence  about 
them  was  unbroken,  save  by  the  pattering  feet  of  their 
horses  as  they  galloped  over  the  plain.  At  length  the 
chiefs  brought  their  horses  to  a  walk  and  Manu-le-to,  ad- 
dressing his  companion,  said  briefly  ; 


KAH-NEE-TA.  65 

"Let  my  brother  move  slowly  forward  along  the  base  of 
the  mountain.  Manu-le-to  will  ride  out  on  the  plain.  If 
enemies  are  found,  let  few  arrows  fly.  The  knife  of  a  war- 
rior is  his  best  friend  in  the  dark." 

Mariano  at  once  moved  away  in  the  direction  of  the 
mountain,  closely  followed  by  his  warriors. 

The  two  parties  now  acting  independently  drew  rapidly 
apart,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  each  other.  They  had 
gone  on  for  some  time  eagerly  watching  and  listening,  when 
suddenly  a  great  shout  arose  at  a  point  not  far  in  advance  of 
the  party  of  the  chief  Manu-le-to.  No  response  was  re- 
turned, and  the  party  rode  steadily  forward.  Again  the  cry 
came,  more  distinct  than  before,  and  mingled  with  it  could 
be  heard  the  voices  of  people  engaged  in  conversation. 
Little  fires  soon  appeared,  and  as  the  warriors  approached, 
they  could  distinctly  observe  a  number  of  squaws  running 
hither  and  thither  engaged  in  the  usual  labor  of  the  camp. 
This  was  clearly  no  party  with  warlike  intentions,  but 
Manu-le-to' s  long  experience  as  a  warrior  had  taught  him 
that  he  might  often  expect  danger,  where  it  seemed  least 
likely  to  be  found.  The  party  before  him  was  certainly  not 
feared,  but  it  was  yet  to  be  determined  whether  it  was  not 
being  used  to  cover  the  movements  of  an  accompanying  ex- 
pedition. 

Leaving  a  single  warrior  behind  him,  with  directions  to 
advance  into  the  camp  of  the  strangers  when  he  should 
hear  the  repeated  cry  of  a  coyote  from  the  north,  he  moved 
cautiously  forward  with  the  others.  Keeping  the  fires  in 
view,  he  circled  around  the  encampment  to  the  north,  with- 
out discovering  any  evidence  of  an  outlying  party  of  war- 
riors. At  last  he  halted  his  command,  and  caused  one  of 
his  warriors  to  imitate  the  cry  of  a  coyote.  The  wailing  cry 
had  scarcely  died  away  in  the  air  before  it  was  answered  by 


66  NAH-NEE-TA. 

a  similar  cry  from  the  south.  Again  the  warrior  at  the  side 
of  the  chief  repeated  the  plaintive  cry,  and  again  it  was 
answered  from  the  south.  Presently  a  loud  shout  was 
heard  not  far  from  the  camp,  answered  almost  immediately 
by  another.  Then  other  shouts  followed,  and  again  all 
was  silent. 

At  last,  after  considerable  time  had  elapsed,  a  single 
horseman  galloped  out  from  the  camp  and  rode  to  the 
north.  As  he  approached  he  was  recognized  as  the  warrior 
who  had  been  left  behind  by  the  chief,  and  his  comrades  at 
once  crowded  eagerly  about  him  to  learn  what  had  occurred. 
Addressing  himself  to  Manu-le-to,  he  briefly  informed  him 
that  the  strangers  were  friendly  Utes  accompanied  by  their 
squaws,  going  down  to  the  encampments  near  the  great 
council  chamber,  with  running  horses  and  robes.  They 
had  been  detained  by  an  accident  to  one  of  their  people 
some  time  during  the  day,  and  had  therefore  been  unable  to 
reach  a  suitable  place  for  their  camp  at  an  earlier  hour. 
Their  leader  had  then  caused  frequent  shouts  to  be  made  in 
order  that  their  peaceable  character  might  not  be  mistaken, 
should  their  presence  be  discovered. 

The  war  chief  was  well  satisfied,  from  the  account  of  the 
warrior,  that  there  was  no  further  cause  to  apprehend  any 
danger,  but  he  deemed  it  yet  due  to  his  great  reputation  as 
a  vigilant  leader  that  he  should  obtain  further  evidence 
that  the  strangers  had  not  misrepresented  themselves. 

Detaching  a  runner  at  once  from  his  party,  he  sent  him 
with  orders  to  find  the  young  chief,  and  direct  him  to  de- 
ploy his  command,  and  cause  his  warriors  to  ride  back  and 
forth  across  the  great  plain  for  a  considerable  distance  to 
the  east.  In  the  meantime  he  remained  where  he  was  to 
watch  the  camp  of  the  Utes. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  time   the  young  chief  came  in 


NAH-20E-TA.  67 

with  his  warriors,  He  had  thoroughly  searched  over  the 
plain,  for  a  long  distance  to  the  east,  and  found  it  entirely 
deserted. 

There  was  now  nothing  more  to  be  done.  Every  effort 
to  discover  an  inimical  intent  on  the  part  of  the  Utes 
had  utterly  failed. 

Their  peaceable  intentions  were  established  beyond 
question, 

"My  brother/*  said  Manu-le-to,  addressing  the  young 
chief,  "the  enemies  of  the  nation  are  hard  always  to  find. 
Let  the  warriors  return  to  the  encampments." 

The  whole  party  instantly  set  out  without  further  com- 
mand and  galloped  furiously  back  to  the  south.  As  it  ap- 
proached the  encampments  the  watchman  stationed  at  the 
entrance  of  the  canon  again  gave  the  alarm,  and  the  few 
warriors  who  had  remained  for  the  protection  of  the  camp 
gathered  hurriedly  together.  The  head  chief  himself  has- 
tened to  join  them  to  encourage  them  by  his  presence.  But 
all  apprehensions  were  speedily  removed  by  the  well-known 
shouts  of  the  warriors,  announcing  their  return.  Almost 
immediately  thereafter,  they  came  suddenly  in  view,  gal- 
loping madly  towards  the  mouth  of  the  caSion,  uttering 
fierce  yells  and  brandishing  their  weapons  as  they  came. 
Then,  at  a  word  from  the  chief,  they  dispersed  quickly  to 
their  several  encampments,  and  hastily  dismounting,  de- 
livered their  horses  into  the  care  of  the,rsquaws. 


VI. 

To-me  had  at  first,  rather  hastily  determined  to  accept 
the  woman's  offer  and  abandon  the  idea  of  purchasing  her 
daughter.  The  difficulties  which  presented  themselves  in 
the  way  of  accomplishing  what  he  desired,  appeared  to  him 
at  the  time,  to  be  utterly  insurmountable,  and  he  reasoned, 
therefore,  that  it  was  best  to  accept  the  offer  which  the 
woman  had  made,  and  sacrifice  his  new-formed  inclinations 
to  his  permanent  advantage. 

But  when  he  awoke  on  the  following  morning  and  re- 
called what  he  had  done,  he  regretted  his  haste,  and  imme- 
diately began  to  discuss  in  his  mind  the  feasibility  of  one 
plan  and  another,  by  which  he  might  be  able  to  retain  the 
confidence  of  the  woman  and  hold  the  refusal  of  her 
offer,  to  be  finally  accepted  if  his  future  negotiations  for 
the  daughter  should  fail. 

He  thought  the  subject  all  over,  without  being  able  to 
arrive  at  a  different  conclusion.  This  was  doubtless  fortu- 
nate for  To-me,  and  saved  him  the  mortification  of  a  possi- 
ble failure  thereafter. 

It  is  certainly  an  abnormal  condition  of  the  mind  that 
actuates  an  individual,  after  laborious  thoughts  have  been 
given,  to  undertake  the  performance  of  some  secret  scheme, 
which  by  its  very  nature  makes  his  object  apparent  to  others. 
So,  for  a  notable  example,  Trochu's  great  plan  for  the  defence 
of  Paris  against  the  Prussians,  conceived  with  much  labor, 
and  undertaken  with  secrecy  almost  dramatic,  was  apparent 
to  the  enemy  from  the  first. 

To-me  was  several  times  on  the  eve  of  carrying  out  what 
appeared  to  be  a  well  digested  plan,  but  fortunately  hesi- 
tated as  often,  and  eventually  left  the  matter  in  abeyance 
until  he  could  think  more  of  it. 


68 


NAH-NEE-TA.  69 

At  last,  at  the  very  moment  when  the  woman  and  her 
daughter  made  their  appearance  in  the  encampment  of  the 
chief,  he  determined  upon  a  course  that  he  then  thought  of 
for  the  first  time.  He  would  hasten  to  his  powerful  friend, 
the  great  medicine  man,  Me-su-la,  and  lay  the  matter  before 
him,  and  request  his  advice  and  assistance. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  before,  any  of  the  people 
were  awake,  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away  up  the 
canon.  Leaving  the  main  traveled  trail,  he  turned  his  horse 
into  a  path  that  gradually  ascended  along  the  face  of  the 
precipitous  mountain  on  his  right.  Horsemen  seldom  at- 
tempted to  ascend  by  this  trail,  and  it  was  almost  entirely 
abandoned  to  the  sheep  and  the  goats.  He  could  have  gone 
farther  on  and  found  a  safe  trail,  but  he  was  now  in  great 
haste,  and  his  impatient  spirit  could  bear  no  delay.  Dis- 
mounting at  once  he  began  the  ascent,  leading  the  horse 
on  behind  him. 

For  the  entire  distance,  from  the  base  of  the  mountain  to 
its  summit,  the  path  followed  a  narrow  shelf  on  the  face  of 
the  wall,  scarcely  wide  enough  often  to  permit  the  passage 
of  his  horse.  Here  and  there  it  was  crossed  by  deep  fur- 
rows, worn  by  great  torrents  of  water  that  had  fallen  at 
times  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  far  up  near 
the  top  it  was  crossed  by  a  chasm  that  seemed  almost  impos- 
sible to  pass. 

To-me  slowly  climbed  up  the  trail,  and  at  last  reached  tl 
edge  of  the  chasm.  He  stood  for  a  moment  undecided,  and 
then  sprang  nimbly  across  and  attempted  to  lead  his  horse 
after.  But  the  animal  stubbornly  refused  to  follow.  Time 
and  again  he  led  him  up  to  the  deep,  silent  chasm,  but  as 
frequently  the  terrified  animal  drew  suddenly  back  and 
attempted  to  escape  by  the  way  he  had  come.  To-me  at 
last  got  behind  him,  and  forced  him  forward  by  main 


70  NAH-NEE-TA. 

strength  to  the  brink.  "With  a  great  cry  of  terror  the 
affrighted  animal  sprang  over  the  chasm  and  hastened  on 
up  the  narrow  trail.  The  summit  was  then  speedily  reached, 
and  To-me,  hastily  mounting,  rode  quickly  away  across  the 
broad,  level  mesa,  that  crowned  the  top  of  the  mountain. 

The  sun  was  near  the  meridian  when  the  runner  came  in 
sight  of  a  little  valley,  many  weary  miles  distant  from  the  en- 
campment he  had  left  in  the  morning.  He  rode  slowly  forward 
and  entered  the  valley,  looking  to  the  right  and  the  left  in 
the  chaparral  of  stunted  growths  of  pinon  and  pines,  which 
here  and  there"  skirted  its  sides,  for  some  indication  of  the 
object  of  his  search.  At  length  he  observed  numerous  trails 
made  by  horses  and  sheep,  diverging  from  one  of  the  groves 
down  into  the  valley.  Guided  ;by  these  certain  indications 
of  the  proximity  of  a  village,  he  rode  towards  the  grove  from 
which  the  trails  came.  As  he  approached  nearer  he  heard 
the  voices  of  people-,  and  at  last  came  directly  upon  the  ho- 
gan  of  Me-su-la,  the  great  medicine  man  of  the  clan  of  the 
head  chief  Barbon-ce-to,  standing  in  the  center  of  the 
grove,  and  almost  concealed  by  the  thick  undergrowth  about 
it.  Me-su-la  himself  stood  at  the  door  of  his  ho-gan,  and  as 
To-me  came  neat,  called  him  by  name,  and  bade  him  wel- 
come. The  weary  horse  of'  the  runner  was  speedily  trans- 
ferred to  the  care  of  a  squaw,  and  sent  to  the  best  pasture 
grounds  in  the  valley,  and  a  robe  was  spread  on  the  floor  of 
the  lodge  for  the  warrior,  upon  which  he  might  rest  until 
some  food  could  be  prepared. 

To-me  was  highly  pleased  with  the  kind  reception  he  had 
met,  and  he  accepted  it  as  a  certain  indication  that  he  would 
be  able  to  obtain  the  good  services  of  his  host,  in  his  profes- 
sional capacity  as  a  medicine  maker.  This  was  indeed  very 
fortunate,  and  To-me  had  good  reason  to  be  pleased.  There 
were  so  many  contingencies  and  essential  conditions  in 


NAH-NEE-TA.  71 

the  medicine  man's  calendar/ so  many  uncontrollable  things 
seldom  in  harmony  that  must  work  together  to  insure  a 
successful  result,  that  long  periods  often  intervened,  during 
which  he  was  incapable  of  offering  his  services  to  his  people. 
The  moon  and  certain  stars  had  to  be  carefully  consulted; 
the  wanderings  of  the  sheep,  and  the  direction  of  nights  of 
certain  rare  birds,  had  also  to  be  watched;  and,  last  of  all, 
but  by  no  means  the  least,  it  was  necessary  that  a  vision  by 
night  should  appear  to  some  one  in  the  village.  A  dream 
of  some  kind  or  other,  merely  to  give  indication  to  the  med- 
icine man  that  the  Great  Unknown  Cause  had*  come  within 
his  reach.  When  all  of  these, things  were •  propitious,  his 
face  wore  a  smile,  and  he  was  happy  and  kind.  His  visitors 
needed  not  to  be  told  that  the  signs  were  all  good,  and  that 
medicine  could  be  made,  or  that  they  were  bad  and  nothing 
could  be  done.  The  appearance  of  the  medicine  man's  face 
told  the  whole  story,  and  time  after  time  when  the  necessary 
conditions  were  unfavorable,  his  anxious  visitors  went  silently 
away  so  soon  as  they  ca.ught  sight  of  his  gloomy  countenance. 

Medicine  making  was  deemed  a  most  important  observ- 
ance, and  was  usually  undertaken  to  secure  the  intervention 
of  supernatural  power,  for  good  or  for  evil.  It  had  no 
special  reference  to  pharmacy  alone,  but  included  with  it 
invocations  and  conjurings,  the  preparation  of  charms,  and 
other  mysterious  processes,  employed  to  influence  a  desired 
result. 

Warriors  made  medicine  to  induce  the  Great  Spirit  to 
make  them  strong  when  in  battle,  and  successful  in  destroy- 
ing their  enemies.  They  made  medicine  to  enable  them  to 
determine  the  result  of  some  expedition  they  intended,  or  to 
insure  its  success.  The  warriors,  however,  were  not  able  to 
make  medicine,  that  could  be  depended  upon  always  as  in- 
fallible. This  power  could  only  be  exercised  in  its  perfec- 


72  KAH-^EE-TA. 

tion  by  the  professional  medicine  man  of  the  Nation,  who 
held  the  great  secrets  of  the  necessary  ceremonials  and  con- 
ditions, which  alone  could  be  relied  upon  to  influence  super- 
natural intervention.  They  were,  in  short,  the  chief  priests 
of  the  nation,  and  their  curative  preparations,  and  their 
charms,  and  their  words  of  advice  and  instruction,  were  re- 
garded as  due  to  direct  revelations  from  the  Great  Spirit 
himself. 

To-me  had  often  made  medicine  on  ordinary  occasions, 
but  the  matter  now  involved  he  regarded  as  of  unusual  im- 
portance. His  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  art  might  possi- 
bly lead  him  astray,  and  all  his  efforts  prove  utterly  useless. 
He  had  come,  therefore,  to  lay  the  whole  subject  before  the 
greatest  sorcerer  in  the  nation,  and  to  ask  his  kindly  ser- 
vices in  his  behalf. 

When  he  had  eaten  the  food  that  had  been  set  before  him, 
and  he  had  smoked  a  friendly  pipe  with  his  host,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  make  known  the  object  of  his  visit.  Beginning 
with  his  arrival  at  the  village  of  the  young  chief,  he  related 
the  whole  story  of  his  adventures,  up  to  the  time  of  his  ar- 
rival at  the  ho-gan  of  Me-su-la.  In  the  sententious  language 
of  his  people,  he  told  of  the  girl's  beauty  and  his  great  de- 
sire to  carry  her  to  his  cheerless  ho-gan  ;  of  the  proposition 
of  the  woman  and  his  hasty  acceptance ;  and  how,  now,  he  de- 
pended at  last  upon  the  words  and  the  counsel  of  the  great 
medicine  man,  to  guide  his  course  in  the  future. 

Me-su-la  listened  in  silence  until  To-me  had  concluded, 
and  then  addressing  himself  to  his  visitor,  said  quietly: 

"To-me  should  be  wise." 

"And  what  should  To-me  do  to  be  wise?"  he  asked,  some- 
what impatiently. 

"It  would  be  wise  for  a  warrior  to  turn  his  herd  into  one 
that  is  larger,"  replied  Me-su-la  with  provoking  delibera- 
tion. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  73 

"Then  To-me  does  not  wish  to  be  wise/'  he  said  petu- 
lently.  And  then  after  a  short  pause  he  added,  "unless 
there  is  no  other  way." 

"Bah  !  "  said  the  old  man  sharply.  "To-me  is  a  fool. 
What  does  he  want  in  the  ho-gan  of  Me-su-la  ?  Let  him 
speak  quickly." 

"To-me  desires  the  great  medicine  man  to  make  medi- 
cine for  him,  and  then  speak  the  words  that  the  great  spirit 
has  put  in  his  mouth,  not  alone  to  To-me  but  also  to  the 
woman.  To-me  will  hearken  to  the  words  and  obey  them 
every  one,  whatever  they  may  be,  and  Me-su-la  shall  choose 
the  best  horse  in  To-mc's  herd  for  his  own." 

"Let  To-me  hearken  to  the  words  of  Me-su-la,"  urged  the 
old  man.  "Let  him  accept  the  good  offer  that  the  woman 
has  made,  and  cease  to  think  more  of  the  girl." 

"To-me  can  never  be  happy  until  he  has  taken  the  girl 
home  to  his  lodge,"  he  said  dejectedly. 

"Bah  !  "  said  the  old  man,  "To-me  should  cease  to  be  a 
warrior.  His  heart  has  grown  soft.  Bah  !  "  he  repeated  in- 
dignantly, "To-me' s  eyes  have  grown  weak.  He  cannot  see 
now  as  far  as  he  can  shoot." 

To-me  bowed  down  his  head,  but  made  no  reply. 

"Bah  !  "  continued  the  old  man.  "It  is  idle  for  a  war- 
rior to  talk  of  being  happy,  before  the  spirit  land  has  been 
reached.  Let  To-me  hearken  well  to  the  words  of  Me-su-la. 
The  beautiful  Nah-nee-ta  is  a  Mexican." 

"It  is  possible,"  said  To-me  quietly.  "How  does  Me-su-la 
know  that  the  girl  is  a  Mexican  ?  " 

"Does  To-me  ask  the  medicine  man  how  he  knows  what 
has  happened  in  the  past  ?  Let  him  ask  rather,  how  he 
knows  what  will  happen  in  the  future." 

"Let  Me-su-la  speak  on." 

"Yea,  Me-su-la  will  speak  once  again.  To-me  refuses  to 
be  wise.  He  refuses  to  hearken  to  the  counsel  of  his  friend. 


74  NAH-NEE-TA. 

He  comes  to  the  ho-gan  of  the  medicine  man,  and  demands 
that  medicine  shall  be  made,  and  the  great  spirit  asked  to 
put  pleasant  words  into  the  mouth  of  Me-su-la." 

The  old  man  ceased  to  speak,  and  for  a  time  gazed  va- 
cantly before  him.  At  length  he  continued. 

"It  is  done,  even  as  To-me  demanded,  and  the  pleasant 
words  which  he  desired  have  been  spoken.  The  woman  has 
heard  them,  and  has  hastened  to  obey.  To-me' s  heart  has 
been  filled  with  great  joy,  and  he  has  taken  the  maiden  to 
his  lodge.  One  of  his  horses  has  gone  to  the  herd  of  the 
medicine  man,  and  now  he  sends  three  others  to  the  herd  of 
the  woman.  To-me  has  but  one  left.  But  why  should  he 
care  ?  His  heart  is  now  happy,  and  his  lodge  is  made  bright 
by  the  smiles  of  the  maiden. 

"One  moon  passes  away,  and  then  another  one  passes,  and 
at  last  the  snow  falls  again  upon  the  mountains  and  whitens 
their  tops.  A  warrior  comes  riding  in  great  haste  to  the 
lodge  and  cries,  'Me-ra/  my  brother,  the  war  chief  goes 
soon  to  the  country  of  the  Apaches,  and  he  desires  that  To- 
me shall  make  ready  to  ride.  Each  warrior  must  take  three 
horses  in  his  herd.  Hasten  my  brother  to  the  gathering  at 
the  great  council  chamber."  Can  To-me  make  ready  to 
ride  ?  Nay,  he  has  but  one  horse,  and  he  says  in  his  sorrow, 
'had  To-me  been  wise  he  might  go  as  a  chief/ 

"Again  a  warrior  comes  riding  to  the  lodge,  and  as  he 
draws  near  he  cries  ;  'Hasten,  my  brother,  to  join  the  chief 
of  the  clan,  to  hunt  the  antelope  in  the  valleys  below/  To- 
me's heart  bounds  with  joy,  and  he  hastens  to  seize  his  bow 
and  his  quiver.  But  he  stops  quickly  as  he  recalls  his  im- 
poverished condition.  No  hunter  could  go  on  such  a  chase, 
with  only  one  horse.  He  hides  his  face  in  his  hands,  and 
says  to  himself,  'if  To-me  had  been  wise,  he  might  ride 
with  the  hunters  on  the  fleetest  horses  in  the  clan/ 


NAH-HEE-TA.  75 

"At  length  the  beautiful  Nah-nee-ta  grows  weary  in  her 
lodge,  and  asks  to  be  taken  for  a  time,  to  the  ho-gan  of  her 
mother.  How  shall  she  go  ?  To-me  has  but  one  horse. 
Shall  a  squaw  ride  on  a  horse  with  a  warrior  ?  Nay,  that  is 
impossible,  and  the  squaw  soon  grows  sad,  and  To-me  is  un- 
happy in  his  lodge. 

"But  evils  come  never  alone.  At  last  the  horse  sickens 
and  dies,  and  To-me  wanders  about  like  a  beggar,  on  foot, 
the  poorest  warrior  in  the  tribe.  Bah  !  there  he  goes," 
cried  the  old  man  excitedly,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand 
as  he  spake,  and  looking  intently  before  him.  "Bah  !  there 
he  goes,  a  poor  wretch,  on  foot  and  alone.  He  refused  to  be 
wise.  Let  him  suffer. 

"Nay,  nay/'  he  cried  suddenly.  "Me-su-la  sees  him  not. 
It  was  all  a  bad  dream.  To-me  has  been  wise.  He  has  ac- 
cepted the  good  offer  which  the  woman  has  made.  He  has 
turned  his  horses  into  the  herd  of  Po-lone,  and  lives  in  the 
ho-gan  with  the  woman.  To-me  is  now  happy  indeed,  and 
his  heart  has  grown  light." 

"Bah  ! "  said  To-me.  "Can  a  warrior  be  happy,  in  the 
ho-gan  of  the  mother  of  a  Mexican  ?  " 

"Bah  ! "  ejaculated  the  old  man.     "To-me  is  a  fool." 

"Can  a  warrior  be  happy  before  the  spirit  land  has  been 
reached?"  asked  To-me. 

"Bah  ! "  repeated  the  old  man.  "To-me  has  but  the  half 
of  a  head." 

"The  medicine  man  can  talk  as  he  pleases.  His  words 
are  all  hot,  but  they  burn  not  in  the  ears  of  To-me." 

"A  warrior  cannot  be  truly  happy,"  said  the  medicine 
man  kindly,  as  though  he  desired  to  atone  for  the  harsh  words 
he  had  used,  "until  his  spirit  has  reached  the  eternal  coun- 
try of  the  dead.  He  may  be  contented  for  a  day,  or  even  for 
a  moon,  but,  sooner  or  later,  the  evil  spirit  will  enter  his  ho_ 


76  XAH-NEE-TA. 

gan  and  pierce  him  with  arrows  unseen,  to  poison  his  heart 
and  wound  his  flesh  with  disease/' 

"The  evil  spirit  would  flee  from  the  presence  of  the  beau- 
tiful ISTah-nee-ta,"  said  To-me. 

"Bah  !  "  replied  the  old  man.  "What  is  a  squaw,  that 
To-me  should  speak  thus  of  the  girl  ?  The  great  spirit  made 
the  squaws  to  be  servants  for  his  people.  They  die,  and 
their  spirits  go  into  the  fish,  that  live  in  the  waters.  Nah- 
nee-ta  may  seem  to  please  To-me  for  a  day,  or  even  for  a 
moon,  and  drive  the  shadows  from  his  lodge,  but  what  more 
can  she  do  ?  In  the  end,  she  will  go  to  her  place  in  the 
waters,  and  To-me  will  travel  alone  on  his  journey  to  the 
country  of  the  dead." 

"The  journey  is  a  long  one/'  said  To-me,  musingly. 
"And  when  a  warrior  is  dead,  his  friends  burn  his  body, 
that  his  spirit  may  not  be  wearied  with  a  useless  burden  on 
the  way." 

"Yea,  yea/'  said  the  old  man,  bowing  his  head  as  he 
spoke.  "That  his  body  may  not  be  a  useless  burden  on  the 
way." 

"And  horses  are  killed  and  their  bodies  are  burned,  that 
the  spirit  of  the  dead  warrior  may  ride  upon  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  horses  on  his  journey." 

"'Yes,"  said  the  old  man,  "and  To-me  should  be  wise  or 
he  may  not  leave  a  horse  to  be  killed  when  he  dies." 

"And  his  bow  and  his  quiver  full  of  arrows  are  burned 
also,  that  he  may  use  them  on  the  way." 
"Yes." 

"And   the  journey  is    a  long  one,"  he  repeated,    "and 
many  moons  pass  away  before  the  end  has  been  reached." 
"Yes." 

"It   were   best   then,"    said   To-me,    "that   the   warrior 
should  take  a  squaw  with  him  to  serve  him  on  the  way." 
"Would  To-me  have  a  squaw  killed  like  a  horse?" 


NAH-STEE-TA.  77 

"Nay/'  said  To-me,  "but  the  spirit  of  the  one  who  dies 
first  might  hide  in  the  shadows  of  the  canon,  or  in  the  cor- 
ners in  the  mountains  and  wait  for  the  other." 

"Nay/'  said  the  old  man.  "The  Great  Spirit  has  not 
put  such  words  in  the  mouth  of  To-me.  The  spirits  of  the 
horses  cease  to  exist  when  the  warrior  reaches  the  end  of  his 
journey.  But  the  spirit  of  a  squaw  cannot  cease  to  exist, 
neither  can  it  go  from  the  earth.  In  the  country  of  the 
dead,  the  most  beautiful  squaws  wait  even  now,  in  ho-gans 
of  sweet  smelling  cedar,  for  the  coming  of  their  masters 
from  the  land  of  the  mortals. 

"Nay,  nay,  the  squaws  of  the  earth  are  for  this  life  alone. 
Not  even  the  beautiful  Nah-nee-ta  can  go  with  To-me  on 
his  journey  to  the  country  of  the  dead.  Many  dangers  and 
trials  are  met  011  the  way,  and  the  spirits  of  many  brave 
warriors  grow  weary  and  faint  before  the  end  has  been 
reached,  and  are  forever  destroyed.  A  squaw  cannot  go  on 
the  war  path  because  her  heart  is  not  strong.  How  then 
can  her  spirit  go  on  the  journey  to  the  country  of  the  dead? 
Has  To-me  wise  words  in  his  mouth  to  reply?" 

"Nay,  To-me  has  no  words  in  his  mouth  to  reply,  but 
his  ears  are  both  open  to  hearken  to  the  words  of  the  Medi- 
cine Man.  Will  Me-su-la  speak  on?" 

"Of  what  does  the  warrior  wish  Me-su-la  to  speak!" 

"Of  the  long  journey  and  the  dangers  on  the  way.  Of 
the  country  of  the  dead,  and  the  pleasures  which  await  the 
warriors  who  reach  it." 

"Brave  To-me  has  found  his  head  once  again,"  cried  the 
old  man  joyfully,  "and  his  words  are  all  wise.  Me-su-la 
will  speak  and  the  warrior  shall  hearken,  that  his  heart 
may  grow  strong." 

To-me  eagerly  leaned  forward  towards  him,  to  catch 
every  word  he  would  utter,  but  the  Medicine  Man  suddenly 


78  '  KAH-KEE-TA. 

dropped  his  head  on  his  breast,  and  for  a  long  time  re- 
mained silent.  After  several  minutes  had  elapsed,  To-me 
began  really  to  fear  that  the  old  man  had  forgotten  his 
presence  or  had  fallen  asleep.  But  he  knew  well  the  cus- 
tom of  the  Medicine  Man  and  waited  on  patiently  yet  for 
awhile,  hoping  that  the  silence  would  soon  be  broken.  At 
last  the  old  man  raised  up  his  head,  and  looking  intently  at 
To-me,  began  to  speak  in  a  tone  scarcely  audible. 

"When  a  warrior  is  dead/'  he  said  slowly,  "and  his  body 
been  burned,  his  spirit  takes  the  form  in  which  it  lived  on 
the  earth,  and  starts  at  once  for  the  country  of  the  dead. 
His  spirit  can  never  more  suffer  from  hunger  or  from  thirst, 
from  heat  or  from  cold,  or  from  the  recollections  of  the 
miseries  of  the  life  that  has  closed.  In  all  other  things 
there  has  been  little  change,  except  that  his  powers  which 
remain  have  grown  very  strong.  His  spirit  feels  pain  and 
enjoys  pleasure  more  intensely  than  ever  before.  The 
slightest  noise  can  be  heard  and  the  most  distant  objects 
can  be  seen. 

"His  spirit  starts  on  its  journey  very  happy  and  free — as 
light  as  the  sun  and  as  pure  as  the  air  in  the  mountains — 
rid  of  the  burden  of  a  useless  body,  and  of  all  care  to  pro- 
vide means  to  prolong  its  existence,  rid  of  greasy  hunting 
shirts  and  of  dirty  leggins,  and  rid — best  of  all — rid  of 
squaws  with  long  tongues,  and  of  smoking  ho-gans.  His 
spirit  has  grown  strong  as  the  claws  of  a  grizzly  monster 
in  the  mountain,  and  feet  as  the  feet  of  the  antelope  in  the 
valley.  He  travels  on  his  journey  as  he  pleases,  and  grows 
never  weary.  There  are  no  shadows  to  fall  across  the  trail 
that  he  follows,  for  he  sees  alike  well  in  the  dark  and  in  the 
light.  There  are  no  evil  spirits  now  to  torment  him,  and 
lie  sleeps  not  for  he  never  needs  rest. 


NAH-KEE-TA.  79 

"At  last,,  after  many,  many  moons  have  passed  away,  his 
spirit  enters  into  the  land  of  the  Chiquitos,  the  dreaded 
dwarfs  who  have  ever  been  on  the  war  path  against  the 
spirits  of  mortals  which  have  entered  their  country.  His 
quick  ear  at  once  catches  the  sound  of  many  alarms,  and  he 
knows  that  the  time  has  now  come  for  his  trial. 

"If  his  spirit  can  be  driven  back  from  where  it  has  come, 
or  it  fails  in  the  courage  or  the  skill  of  the  warrior,  it  for- 
ever ceases  to  exist.  But  if  it  proves  to  be  brave  and  to  be 
skillful,  and  meets  the  dangers  in  the  way  without  fear,  it 
overcomes  all  its  enemies  and  at  last  reaches  the  end  of  the 
long  journey  in  triumph.  Let  To-me  keep  his  heart  strong, 
that  he  may  be  prepared  for  the  last  trial  through  which  he 
must  pass. 

"The  Chiquitos  are  dwarfs,  but  they  must  not  be  des- 
pised. They  are  active  and  brave  on  the  war  path  and  full 
of  strange  devices  to  deceive  the  spirit  of  the  warrior  whose 
heart  is  not  strong.  They  are  not  spirits  for  they  have  a 
body  of  flesh  with  all  of  its  burdens;  neither  are  they  mor- 
tals, for  they  cannot  be  found  by  a  living  warrior.  They 
vanish  into  the  air  like  the  snake  of  the  lodge  fin  when  they 
are  wounded,  and  then  forever  disappear. 

"It  matters  not  what  existence  they  have,  they  are  the 
last  deadly  enemies  of  the  warriors,  hiding  on  the  border  of 
the  country  of  the  dead,  to  destroy  their  spirits  as  they  pass. 
Let  the,  smoke  of  their  vile  bodies  mark  the  trail  of  the 
spirit  at  every  step  of  its  journey  through  their  evil  land. 

The  bodies  of  the  Chiquitos  are  covered  with  immense 
ears,  that  extend  from  the  top  of  their  hairless  heads  to  their 
feet,  and  serve  to  protect  them  from  the  heat  and  the  cold. 
When  they  desire  rest  or  concealment,  they  lie  down  upon 
one  of  their  ears,  and  close  the  other  upon  it. 

"The  spirit  of  the  warrior,  as  it  passes  through  their 
country,  comes  often  upon  them,  in  hiding  or  asleep.  If 


80  KAH-STEE-TA. 

the  spirit  kicks  them  with  its  foot,  or  strikes  them  with  its 
bow,  they  thrust  at  it  spitefully,  with  lances  made  from 
thorns  of  the  cactus,  and  hasten  away  howling  like  wounded 
coyotes.  If  it  thrusts  them  through  with  its  arrows,  great 
clouds  of  smoke  suddenly  arise,  and  the  creatures  silently 
and  mysteriously  disappear  in  the  air.  What  becomes  of 
them  Me-su-la  knows  not.  Others  may  take  their  places. 
Who  knows  ? 

"  Mortals  cannot  tell  from  whence  they  have  come,  nor 
whither  they  go.  They  may  increase  or  they  may  decrease. 
It  matters  not  now.  They  are  the  enemies  of  our  spirits. 
Let  the  warrior  thrust  his  barbed  arrows  through  their  vile 
bodies,  and  spare  never  one. 

"Fortunately  for  the  spirit  of  the  warrior,  the  Chiquitos 
can  see  no  better  than  mortals,  and  when  the  night  has 
come  on  it  can  continue  its  journey  without  being  seen. 

"At  the  first  appearance  of  the  spirit,  the  dwarfs  send 
their  runners  far  ahead  in  great  haste  to  gather  their  clans 
all  together,  to  meet  it  on  the .  way.  Then  as  the  spirit 
advances,  it  finds  the  country  before  it  suddenly  covered 
with  its  enemies  hurrying  rapidly  towards  it  from  every 
direction,  except  that  from  which  it  has  come,  screaming 
the  meantime,  like  panthers,  and  howling  like  wolves. 

"Failing  in  all  their  efforts  to  frighten  the  brave  spirit, 
and  cause  it  to  return,  they  attempt  to  compel  it  to  go  back. 
Gathering  in  great  masses,  they  advance  to  give  it  battle, 
attempting  to  protect  themselves  the  meanwhile,  from  the 
weapons  of  the  spirit,  by  means  of  their  ears,  outstretched 
like  the  wings  of  great  birds,  cooling  their  heated  bodies 
when  the  sun  shines  upon  them. 

"As  the  Chiquitos  come  near,  they  utter  loud  screams, 
and  dart  their  short  spears,  and  shoot  their  sharp  arrows  in 
clouds,  while  some  among  them,  more  brave  than  the  others, 


NAH-^EE-TA.  81 

fall  down  upon  the  ground  and  await  the  approach  of  the 
spirit,  to  wound  it  as  it  passes.  All  day  long  the  fight  is 
continued,  and  the  smoke  of  the  wounded  Chiquitos  mark 
the  trail  of  the  spirit  as  it  slowly  presses  forward  on  its 
journey.  At  last  the  sun  disappears,  and  the  welcome 
darkness  puts  an  end  to  the  fierce  battle,  and  forever  ends 
all  the  trials  of  the  victorious  spirit. 

"The  soft  light  of  the  morning  scarcely  falls. on  the  trail 
of  the  spirit  before  it  arrives  on  the  shore  of  a  great  lake  of 
water,  beyond  which  not  even  its  far-seeing  eye  is  able  to 
reach.  The  water  shines  in  the  early  sun  like  polished  sil- 
ver, and  the  pebbles  on  the  shore  are  brilliant  as  stones  that 
burn  of  themselves  in  the  dark,  and  are  never  consumed. 

"While  the  spirit  stands  gazing  upon  the  clear  beautiful 
waters,  a  canoe  made  of  sweet-smelling  cedar,  ornamented 
with  silver  and  great  shining  stones,  comes  quickly  towards 
it.  A  beautiful  woman,  tall  and  slender,  her  face  white 
like  the  snow  when  it  falls,  her  long  hair  bright  as  the  sun 
when  it  rises  from  the  mountains,  her  shoulders  half  covered 
by  a  beaded  blanket,  far  richer  than  any  in  the  Nation, 
stands  in  the  canoe,  and  as  it  reaches  the  shore,  calls  to  the 
spirit  to  come. 

"  The  woman  is  the  beautiful  Nah-wish-to,  the  queen  of 
the  country  of  the  dead. 

"She  takes  the  spirit  in  the  canoe,  and  returns  quickly 
again,  over  the  great  silver  waters,  to  her  home  on  an 
island. 

r'The  beautiful  squaws,  who  have  waited  and  watched  a 
long  weary  time  for  the  coming  of  the  spirit,  meet  it  on  the 
shore  of  the  island,  and  taking  it  up  in  their  arms,  bear  it 
joyfully  away  to  their  happy  ho-gan. 

"Ah,  me!"  sighed  the  old  man,  "the  heart  of  Me-su-la 
is  weary  with  the  things  of  this  life,  and  he  would  that  the 


82  NAH-iSTEE-TA. 

Great  Spirit  could  now  permit  him  to  depart  for  the  eternal 
country  of  the  dead/' 

The  old  man  had  worked  himself  into  a  condition  of  great 
mental  excitement,  and  when  he  at  last  ceased  to  speak,  he 
threw  himself  forward  upon  his  robe,  and  concealed  his  face 
with  his  hands.  .  To-me,  himself  scarcely  less  excited  by  the 
words  and  the  fervor  of  the  oracle,  sat  silently  watching 
him,  not  knowing  what  to  say  or  to  do. 

He  had  heard  often  before  a  vague  legend  related  in  the 
lodges  of  his  people,  of  the  journey  of  the  spirit  through  the 
lands  of  the  dwarfs  to  the  Island  of  Bliss,  but  he  had  never 
before  been  fully  convinced  of  its  truth.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  life  he  had  heard  it  now  definitely  confirmed  from  a 
reliable  source,  and  his  soul  had  been  suddenly  filled  with 
the  ardor  of  a  faith  newly  awakened.  No  follower  of  Mo- 
hammed ever  more  earnestly  desired  to  attempt  Al  Sirat, 
than  he  now  desired  to  attempt  the  dread  journey  and  meet 
the  evil  dwarfs  on  the  way  to  prove  his  valor  in  battle.  He 
forgot  for  a  while  even  the  purpose  of  his  visit  to  the  lodge 
of  Me-su-la,  and  gazed,  enviously  almost,  upon  the  form 
outstretched  before  him,  lest  it  had  entered  already  upon 
the  journey  of  the  dead. 

In  a  short  time,  however,  the  medicine  man  sat  up  again 
on  his  robe,  and  looked  quietly  about  him.  Every  trace  of 
emotion  had  vanished,  and  his  face  wore  again  its  former 
look  of  contentment.  Turning  at  length  to  To-me  he  asked 
quietly. 

"Does  To-me  wish  that  medicine  be  made?" 

"Yes/'  he  replied,  abruptly,  as  though  suddenly  awak- 
ened from  the  toils  of  a  dream. 

"The  riding  horses  are  all  with  the  herds  in  the  valley, 
and  Me-su-la  cannot  walk  up  the  mountain." 

"Must  Me-su-la  go  up  the  mountain  I"  asked  To-me, 
with  same  show  of  impatience. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  83 

"Yea,  the  Great  Spirit  himself  has  chosen  the  place. 
Three  times  since  the  snows  left  the  top  of  the  mountains, 
the  Great  Spirit  has  spoken  with  thunder,  and  hurled  the 
lightning  from  His  hand  against  the  same  rock.  Great 
broken  pieces  lie  scattered  about,  in  the  shape  of  a  creature 
with  wings.  Here  Me-su-la  must  go  to  make  medicine/' 

"Send  quickly  to  the  herd,"  said  To-me,  "  and  bring  the 
horses  to  the  lodge." 

"It  shall  be  done,  even  as  To-me  desired,"  replied  Me- 
su-la,  and  calling  a  peon,  he  sent  the  man  in  great  haste 
for  the  herd. 

When  the  peon  had  gone  To-me  walked  out  of  the  lodge 
and  stood  watching  him  as  he  ran  down  into  the  valley. 
The  herd  had  wandered  away  to  a  great  distance  from  the 
lodge,  and  considerable  time  would  necessarily  elapse  before 
it  could  be  brought  back  again.  To-me  glanced  uneasily  at 
the  sun,  already  low  in  the  heavens,  and  then  down  again 
Into  the  valley.  He  moved  back  and  forth  impatiently  for 
a  while,  and  then  suddenly  hurried  back  into  the  lodge. 

"The  herd  is  far  away  in  the  valley,"  he  said,  "and  the 
sun  is  near  the  earth.  To-me  must  ride  to  the  great  council 
chamber  before  he  can  sleep.  He  cannot  wait  longer  for 
the  horses  to  be  brought.  He  will  carry  Me-su-la  on  his 
back  up  the  mountain.'" 

Stooping  down  as  he  spoke,  he  lifted  the  old  man  up  on 
iis  back  and  hurried  at  once  up  the  side  of  the  mountain 
with  his  burden.  Arriving  at  length  near  the  mysterious 
spot,  he  placed  the  medicine  man  on  his  feet  and  retired 
for  some  distance  down  the  mountain  again.  He  would 
gladly  have  remained  to  witness  the  ceremonies  of  the  med- 
icine maker,  but  Me-su-la  almost  angrily  bade  him  move 
quickly  away.  Stopping  behind  a  great  rock  not  very  far 
distant,  To-me  climbed  hastily  to  its  top,  and  under  cover 


84  NAH-NEE-TA. 

of  the  overhanging  foliage  of  a  tree  which  grew  near  it,  he 
watched  the  old  man  and  listened  to  hear  what  he  would 
say. 

The  broken  masses  of  rock  among  which  the  medicine 
man  conducted  his  ceremonies  were  in  full  view,  but  they 
served  often  to  conceal  him  as  he  moved  hurriedly  about 
from  one  place  to  another. 

In  a  short  time  a  little  column  of  smoke,  heavily 
freighted  with  the  odor  of  sweet  smelling  herbs,  ascended 
from  a  fire  that  the  medicine  man  had  kindled  at  his  feet. 
As  the  smoke  enveloped  his  person  he  began  to  gesticulate 
with  his  arms  and  to  move  his  head  and  his  body  to  and  fro 
in  a  violent  manner,  chanting  the  meantime  without  inter- 
mission, in  a  low,  monotonous  tone.  At  last  he  suddenly 
brought  his  incantations  to  a  close,  and  clasping  his  head 
quickly  with  both  of  his  hands,  stepped  hurriedly  aside 
from  the  smoke. 

The  words  which  he  should  speak  as  a  medicine  man  had 
"come  into  his  head"  while  under  the  influence  of  the 
pungent  odor  of  the  herbs,  and  he  had  held  them  there 
with  his  hands  until  the  supernatural  power  which  inspired 
them  had  taken  its  departure. 

The  medicine  was  'now  made,  and  the  old  man  apparently 
well  pleased  with  his  work,  quietly  extinguished  the  fire 
and  coming  out  from  the  sacred  place  called  To-me  to  ap- 
proach. Once  more  the  runner  took  the  old  man  upon  his 
back,  and  in  a  short  time  returned  him  again  to  his  lodge. 
Not  a  word  had  been  spoken  concerning  the  result  of  the 
medicine  making,  but  To-me  felt  well  assured  by  the  smil- 
ing face  of  the  medicine  maker  that  it  had  been  to  the  full- 
est extent  all  he  desired. 

"Will  Mu-su-la  ride  with  To-mc  to  the  great  council 
chamber?"  he  enquired  at  length.  "The  woman  will  be 


KAH-KEE-TA.  85 

there  with  her  daughter,  and  the  medicine  man  can  speak 
to  Po-lone  the  words  in  his  mouth." 

"Yes,  Me-su-la  will  ride  and  he  will  speak  to  the  woman 
the  words  in  his  mouth,  and  To-me  shall  have  the  maiden. 
The  heart  of  the  warrior  will  be  glad  for  a  while,  but  sad 
days  will  come  quick  to  his  ho-gan." 

All  the  necessary  preparations  were  soon  made  for  the 
journey,  and  the  medicine  man  and  the  warrior  rode  away 
together,  followed  presently  by  two  or  three  squaws  and 
several  peons,  driving  before  them  a  small  herd  of  horses. 
Their  progress  was  necessarily  slow  on  account  of  the  feeble- 
ness of  the  aged  Me-su-la,  and  it  was  late  in  the  night  when 
they  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  canon.  Choosing  a  retired 
spot  near  the  rocks  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  they  quick- 
ly formed  their  encampment. 

As  soon  as  To-me  had  dismounted  he  placed  his  horse  in 
'the  care  of  the  squaws,  and  hastened  on  foot  towards  the 
camp-fires  of  the  clan  of  Mariano.  As  he  approached  the 
encampment  he  observed  the  woman  Po-lone,  standing  not 
far  away,  watching  a  group  of  warriors  sitting  about  one  of 
the  fires. 

"Ah!"  he  murmured^  "the  woman  is  anxious  to  know 
that  To-me  has  returned." 

The  thought  that  the  woman  was  anxious  about  his  re- 
turn, gave  him  great  pleasure,  and  he  started  towards  her 
at  once.  He  had  approached  quite  near  and  his  lips  were 
already  parted  to  speak  when  it  occurred  to  him  suddenly 
that  he  might  possibly  be  guilty  of  some  new  indiscretion  if 
he  should  trust  himself  to  address  her.  Turning  quickly 
about  he  moved  rapidly  away,  as  though  fleeing  from  some 
imminent  danger,  and  returned  hastily  to  the  encampment  of 
the  medicine  man. 

"Have  the  feet  of  the  warrior  run  away  with  his  head?" 


86  NAH-NEE-TA. 

asked  the  old  man  impatiently  as  To-me  suddenly  made  his 
appearance  again. 

"Yea,"  he  replied  hesitatingly,  "To-me  is  afraid  of  his 
head  and  has  brought  it  quickly  away.  Me-su-la  must  has- 
ten to  speak  to  the  woman,"  he  added  hurriedly.  "Even 
now  she  wanders  about  among  the  fires  in  the  encampments, 
searching  for  To-me." 

"The  warrior  must  have  patience,"  said  the  medicine 
man.  "Me-su-la  is  weary  and  must  lie  down  to  rest. 
When  the  sun  drives  the  shadows  from  the  valley  again,  he- 
will  speak  to  the  woman." 

"Nay,  nay,"  urged  the  runner,  "To-me  is  afraid  of  his- 
head  and  cannot  now  be  patient.  The  back  which  bore  the 
medicine  man  up  the  mountain  to-day  is  never  weary  and 
can  bear  him  again." 

Stooping  down  suddenly  he  took  the  old  man  up  on  his 
back  without  even  asking  his  permission,  and  carried  him 
away  rapidly  toward  the  encampments. 

When  he  came  near  the  woman's  camp-fire,  he  quietly 
placed  the  Medicine  Man  on  his  feet  and  then  hastened 
away  and  secreted  himself  in  the  darkness. 

He  had  scarcely  disappeared  when  Po-lone  returned  from 
her  fruitless  search  for  To-me,  and  seated  herself  at  her 
fire.  Here  the  old  medicine  man  found  her  as  has  already 
been  told,  and  accepting  her  proffered  invitation,  cast  his 
blanket  aside  and  sat  down  on  her  robe. 

He  bowed  his  head  for  a  time,  after  the  manner  of  the 
medicine  man,  and  at  last  looking  up,  spoke  briefly  "the 
words  in  his  mouth."  When  he  had  concluded  he  arose  to 
his  feet  and  walked  slowly  away,  and  soon  disappeared  in 
the  darkness. 

« 

To-me  hastened  to  meet  him,  and  taking  him  again  upon 
his  back,  carried  him  speedily  to  his  encampment. 


VII. 

At  the  first  dawn  of  day,  the  squaws  and  the  peons  began 
to  move  about  in  the  encampments.  As  they  got  out  of 
their  blankets  they  called  noisily  to  each  other  and  then 
hurried  to  the  places  where  the  horses  were  tethered,  and 
soon  could  be  heard  wrangling  among  themselves,  and  scold- 
ing at  the  animals  that  had  become  entangled  in  their  fast- 
enings. 

The  warriors  were  speedily  awakened  by  the  noise,  and 
turning  impatiently  in  their  robes,  grumbled  at  the  "loose- 
tongued"  peons  and  squaws. 

In  the  meantime  the  herds  were  rapidly  gathered  together*, 
and  speedily  despatched  to  the  pasture  grounds  in  the  valley. 
The  camp  fires  were  quickly  rekindled  and  the  squaws  be- 
gan to  prepare  the  morning  meal  for  their  masters  and  them- 
selves. Blankets  and  robes  were  then  carefully  folded  and 
lashed  in  convenient  parcels,  to  be  carried  on  the  backs  of 
the  animals,  and  all  other  necessary  preparations  succes- 
sively made  to  remove  with  the  least  possible  delay  from  the 
encampments. 

A  removal  was  by  no  means  expected  or  intended,  but  the 
habit  of  making  daily  preparations  for  a  change  of  location, 
had  long  been  encouraged  by  precept,  and  often  enforced  by 
necessity,  until  it  had  become  a  recognized  and  imperative 
duty,  among  these  nomadic  people.  Day  after  day,  as  reg- 
ularly as  each  morning  succeeded,  these  preparations  were 
rigorously  renewed.  Under  no  circumstances,  however 
urgent,  could  they  be  dispensed'  with  or  delayed.  In  the 
village,  as  well  as  on  the  journey,  in  the  winter,  as  well  as  in 
summer,  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances,  these 

87 


88  KAH-:NTEE-TA. 

preparations  were  made,  as  invariably  as  the  days  succeeded 
each  other.  As  a  people  they  were  ever  ready  to  resume 
their  traditional  wanderings',  or  as  individuals  to  straggle 
about  on  the  slightest  provocation. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  the  runner  To-me  made 
his  appearance  riding  rapidly  across  the  great  plain  from  the 
East.  He  proceeded  at  once  to  the  mouth  of  the  canon, 
and  announced  to  the  watchman  the  speedy  approach  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  clan  of  the  head  chief  Barbon-ce-to. 
A  moment  thereafter  a  great  horde  of  mounted  savages  rode 
suddenly  into  view,  from  a  narrow  pass  in  the  mountain, 
away  to  the  east  of  the  canon,  and  galloped  at  full  speed 
across  the  great  plain. 

In  the  absence  of  Barbon-ce-to,  a  venerable,  old,  grey- 
headed warrior,  rode  steadily  in  front,  acting  as  chief  of  the 
clan.  He  brought  his  caravan  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
canon,  and  halting  it  there,  dismounted  from  his  horse  as  a 
mark  of  respect  to  his  chief.  Barbon-ce-to  himself  hastened 
to  'the  side  of  the  old  warrior,  and  assisted  him  to  mount 
again  on  his  horse,  and  then  returned  to  his  place  by  the 
side  of  the  watchman.  As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  the  old 
warrior  wheeled  his  followers  about,  and  to  the  great  disap- 
pointment of  the  spectators,  and  the  young  bloods  of  the 
clan,  proceeded  at  once  to  the  spot  selected  for  his  encamp- 
ment. 

One  clan  after  another,  now  came  riding  down  from  the 
North,  headed  by  the  most  renowned  warriors  of  the  nation. 
Each  clan  as  it  arrived,  proceeded  directly  to  the  mouth  of 
the  canon,  where  its  leader  dismounted  in  token  of  respect 
and  submission  to  the  authority  of  the  head  chief  of  the 
nation. 

The  displays  of  horsemanship  which  succeeded  each  other 
almost  without  intermission  during  the  remainder  of  the 


NAH-NEE-TA.  89 

day,  varied  but  little  from  the  displays  made  by  the  elan  of 
the  war  chief  Manu-le-to.  There  was  no  cessation,  however, 
in  the  interest  taken  by  the  constantly  increasing  crow  d  of 
spectators.  The  women  and  peons  gathered  together  in 
large,  noisy  groups  and  expressed  their  delight  at  the  ex- 
ploits of  their  favorites,  by  clapping  their  hands,  or  rubbing 
them  industriously  together.  Indifferent  performances  and 
failures  were  treated  with  silence.  ISFot  a  word  indicating 
censure  was  heard,  and  but  seldom  a  loud  word  of  praise. 

The  warriors  stood  apart  from  each  other,  wrapped  in 
their  blankets,  and  witnessed  the  displays  without  evincing 
in  any  manner,  except  *by  their  presence  and  attention,  the 
least  sign  of  interest  or  concern.  They  remained  for  hours 
at  a  time  standing  motionless  and  erect,  like  statues  carved 
from  the  rocks  on  which  they  stood.  Not  a  single  act,  how- 
ever, escaped  their  observation,  and  when  they  gathered  to- 
gether at  night  in  groups  about  their  fires,  and  dismissed 
the  conventional'  silence  that  had  enslaved  their  tongues 
during  the  day,  they  [talked  glibly  enough  of  every  chief 
and  his  clan,  and  of  every  horse  and  his  rider,  and  praised 
or  condemned,  as  worthy  critics  do  the  world  over. 

Long  established  custom  had  made  it  the  exclusive  priv- 
ilege of  the  chiefs  of  the  clans  to  proceed  to  the  meetings 
of  the  great  council  accompanied  only  by  such  prominent 
persons  as  they  chose  to  honor  by  a  formal  invitation.  The 
trail  of  a  chief  could  not  be  followed  by  those  who  had  not 
been  especially  invited,  until  the  sun  had  ceased  to  shine 
on  it.  Usually,  on  the  morning  following  the  departure  of 
the  chief,  large  numbers  of  the  people,  principally  the 
younger  members  of  the  several  families  of  the  clan,  set  out 
in  great  haste  for  the  encampments  at  the  great  council 
chamber.  As  these  people  successively  arrived  they  took 
their  places  at  the  rear  of  the  line  already  formed  by  the 
chief  and  the  principal  men  of  the  clan. 


90  STAH-NEE-TA. 

About  midday  the  party  of  Utes  that  had  caused  the 
alarm  on  the  preceding  night  made  its  appearance  on  the 
plain.  It  was  preceded  by  a  messenger,  "  carrying  tokens 
of  peace  in  his  hands,  and  words  of  friendship  in  his 
mouth." 

Advancing  to  the  entrance  of  the  canon,  the  messenger 
dismounted  and  approached  the  hea.d  chief  and  took  him  by 
the  hand.  Barbon-ce-to  received  him  with  a  great  show  of 
friendship,  and  so  soon  as  the  usual  conventionalities  were 
completed,  extended  an  invitation  to  the  party  to  join  the 
encampment  of  his  clan. 

The  messenger  rode  away  presently,  highly  gratified  with 
the  result  of  his  mission.  In  a  short  time  he  returned,  fol- 
lowed by  his  party,  and  after  the  usual  formalities  of  respect 
were  accomplished,  led  it  to  the  rear  of  the  clan  of  Barbon- 
ce-to  where  it  speedily  formed  its  encampment. 

As  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the  mountains  to  the  west 
of  the  plain,  the  representative  men  of  the  last  clan  arrived. 
So  soon  as  the  necessary  formalities  were  completed,  they 
gathered  around  their  chief  and  hurriedly  formed  their  en- 
campment near  the  mouth  of  the  caiion. 

The  chiefs  of  all  the  clans  with  their  principal  men  now 
had  arrived,  and  Barbon-ce-to  looked  down  from  his  place 
by  the  side  of  the  watchman,  with  pardonable  pride,  upon 
the  vast  encampment  at  his  feet. 

A  hundred  brave  warriors  had  gathered  at  his  call,  fol- 
lowed by  a  vast  retinue  of  peons  and  squaws,  and  an  im- 
mense number  of  horses.  A  thousand  more  valiant  braves 
could  have  been  assembled,  if  he  had  commanded  their  pres- 
ence. In  his  simple  imagination  there  existed  nowhere  in 
all  the. broad  land  so  powerful  a  people  as  his  own,  none 
certainly  whose  warriors  were  so  brave,  or  who  excelled  them 
in  the  practice  of  all  manly  deeds.  In  all  the  long  cata- 


NAH-NEE-TA.  91 

logue  of  desirable  things,  not  one  existed  which  his  people 
did  not  already  possess.  Every  virtue  was  practiced,  and 
every  time-honored  custom  was  observed.  His  warriors 
were  intrepid  and  truthful,  invincible  in  war  and  loyal  in 
peace.  What  more  could  a  great  chief  desire  ? 

His  measure  of  happiness  was  full  to  overflowing.  He 
considered  himself  the  most  favored  of  all  mankind,  and 
would  have  scorned,  doubtless,  the  richest  crown  in  all  Chris- 
tendom, in  exchange  for  his  honors. 

At  a  late  hour  of  the  day  the  common  people  began  to 
make  their  appearance,  and  before  the  sun  had  gone  down, 
the  plain  was  dotted  here  and  there  with  individuals  and 
parties,  approaching  from  every  possible  direction. 

As  darkness  came  on  they  signaled  their  arrival  by  shouts 
and  peculiar  loud  cries  which  were  often  recognized  and  an- 
swered from  the  clans  to  which  they  belonged.  The  shouts 
of  the  warriors,,  the  boisterous  merriment  of  the  squaws 
over  the  newest  arrivals,  the  neighing  of  the  horses,  and  the 
yelping  of  the  wolfish  dogs  that  prowled  in  common  herds 
about  the  encampments,  produced  a  scene  of  confusion  sel- 
dom witnessed  among  these  habitually  stoical  people. 

At  last,  sometime  near  midnight,  the  people  ceased  to  ar- 
rive. The  neglected  camp  fires  burned  low,  flickering  oc- 
casionally here  and  there  with  little  tongues  of  flame,  be- 
fore they  went  out  altogether.  The  noise  died  entirely 
away,  and  the  encampment  eventually,  was  shrouded  in  si- 
lence and  darkness. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  following  morning,  Barbon-ce-to 
called  the  chiefs  of  the  clans,  and  the  principal  men  into 
the  great  council  chamber.  As  they  successively  arrived, 
they  seated  themselves  in  a  circle  about  the  head  chief,  and 
waited  in  silence  for  the  formal  opening  of  the  council. 

After  these  dignitaries  had  all  passed  through  the  narrow 
opening  into  the  canon,  great  numbers  of  the  common 


92  HAH-XEE-T±. 

people  followed,  and  seated  themselves  about  the  circle  of 
the  chiefs  and  the  principal  men. 

When  the  noise  and  confusion  caused  by  the  entrance  of 
the  people  had  in  some  measure  subsided,  Barbon-cc-to 
arose  in  his  place,  and  with  impressive  deliberation  addressed 
the  chiefs  of  the  clans. 

"My  brothers,"  he  said,  "twelve  days  have  passed  since 
the  head  chief  sent  out  his  runners  to  invite  the  chiefs  of  the 
clans  to  meet  him  in  council. 

"Every  chief  has  responded  and  the  heart  of  Barbon-ce-to 
is  glad. 

"For  himself  and  his  people  he  bids  them  all  welcome." 

The  head  chief  presented  a  remarkably  fine  personal 
appearance  as  he  addressed  these  words  to  the  council.  He 
stood  before  it  a  full  head  in  height  above  the  common  stature 
of  his  people,  and  straight  as  an  arrow  from  his  quiver. 
His  manners  were  free  from  restraint,  and  his  address  cour- 
teous and  pleasing. 

His  people  regarded  him  with  reverence  and  affection,  and 
his  influence  over  them  was  unbounded.  By  his  counsel  and 
authority,  the  nation  had  been  kept  at  peace  with  all  of  its 
neighbors,  so  far  as  was  possible,  for  a  long  period  of  years, 
and  had  consequently  enjoyed  great  prosperity,  and  had 
grown  largely  in  numbers  and  power. 

When  Barbon-cc-to  had  completed  his  opening  address, 
the  war  chief  Manu-le-to  arose,  and  advanced  slowly  towards 
him,  with  the  token  in  his  hand  which  he  had  received  from 
the  runner. 

"My  brother,"  he  said,  addressing  the  head  chief,  "three 
days  have  now  passed  since  Manu-le-to  rode  away  from  his 
hogan  on  the  waters  of  the  Cariso.  There  the  runner  of 
the  head  chief  found  him,  and  gave  him  this  token.  The 
heart  of  Manu-le-to  was  glad,  because  the  head  chief  had 


NAH-NEE-TA.  93 

spoken,  and  he  hastened  to  meet  him  in  the  great  council 
chamber." 

When  Manu-le-to  had  concluded  his  address  he  stepped 
forward  hastily  and  returned  the  token  into  the  hands  of 
the  head  chief. 

One  after  the  other,  the  chiefs  of  the  clans,  now  arose  in 
their  places,  and  gave  an  account  of  the  arrival  of.  the  run- 
ners at  their  ho-gans,  and  expressed  the  great  pleasure  it  had 
given  them  to  respond  to  the  invitation  to  meet  their  brothers 
in  council.  Each  chief  advanced  immediately  upon  the 
completion  of  his  speech  and  returned  the  token  he  had  re- 
ceived into  the  hands  of  the  head  chief.  When  this  cere- 
mony was  completed,  Barbon-ce-to  again  addressed  the  chiefs 
of  the  clans. 

"My  brothers  have  ridden  a  longdistance  and  are  weary, " 
he  said.  "Shall  the  head  chief  speak  the  words  in  his 
mouth,  or  shall  he  wait  until  his  brothers  have  grown  strong 
again?" 

He  dropped  his  head  on  his  breast,  and  waited  for  a  reply. 
A  short  silence  ensued  and  then  a  venerable  old  chief  arose 
in  his  place  and  in  slightly  tremulous  tones  slowly  responded: 

"ISTay,  my  brother,  the  hearts  of  the  chiefs  and  the  prin- 
cipal men  of  the  nation  never  grow  weary,  and  their  ears  are 
always  open  to  hearken  to  the  words  of  Barbon-ce-to.  Let 
him  speak  now." 

When  the  aged  chief  had  concluded  his  response  each 
warrior  in  the  circle  nodded  his  head  in  approval  of  his 
words.  Thus  encouraged,  Barbon-ce-to  proceeded  again. 

"My  brothers,"  he  said,  "the  heart  of  the  head  chief  is 
glad,  because  the  Great  Spirit  has  permitted  the  nation  to 
become  the  most  powerful  of  all  people  that  live  on  the  earth. 

"From  a  small  beginning,  it  has  grown  very  great.  From 
a  small  stick  that  trembled  in  the  wind,  it  has  become  a 
great  tree  that  laughs  at  the  storm. 


NAH-NEE-TA. 

''Once  it  was  a  child,  but  now  it  is  a  man. 

"Once  all  the  people  hid  themselves  from  their  enemies, 
because  they  were  few.  They  built  their  ho-gans  on  the 
sides  of  the  mountains  where  the  eagles  make  nests,  for 
they  were  afraid. 

"ISTow  the  warriors  hide  themselves  no  more,  and  rejoice 
when  their  enemies  are  seen. 

"They  build  their  ho-gans  in  the  valleys.  They  are  as 
the  rain  drops  in  numbers,  and  their  hearts  always  are 
strong. 

"Once  all  the  nation  gathered  together  in  the  great  coun- 
cil chamber.  Now  the  chiefs  of  the  clans,  and  the  principal 
men  almost  fill  the  vast  place. 

"Are  not  the  words  true,  that  Barbon-ce-to  has  spoken  ?" 

The  chief  ceased  to  speak,  and  bowed  his  head  on  his 
breast.  A  murmur  of  voices  immediately  arose,  and  the 
chiefs  and  the  principal  men  nodded  their  heads  to  express 
their  approval  of  the  words  they  had  heard.  When  this 
anticipated  response  had  been  made,  Barbon-ce-to  resumed 
his  address. 

"My  brothers/'  he  said,  "hearken  to  the  words  of  the 
head  chief. 

"The  nation  is  great,  because  it  has  long  been  at  peace. 
It  is  mighty,  because  it  has  not  wasted  its  strength  need- 
lessly in  war. 

"The  voice  of  Barbon-ce-to  has  been  heard  in  many  coun- 
cils pleading  for  peace.  His  voice  has  riot  changed  from 
the  first.  The  same  words  have  been  always  in  his  mouth. 

"Has  Barbon-ce-to  been  any  the  less  brave,  because  he 
desired  peace  for  his  people  ? 

"Is  there  a  warrior  in  the  nation  who  can  say  that  the 
heart  of  Barbon-ce-to  has  not  always  been  strong  ?" 

The  chief  spoke  almost  fiercely,  and  his  eyes  burned  while 
he  glanced  rapidly  about  him.  His  auditors  sat  motionless 


XAH-NEE-TA.  95 

and  silent  while  he  looked  enquiringly  and  defiantly  in  their 
faces. 

"It  is  well,"  resumed  the  chief,  after  a  brief  pause.  "The 
nation  has  been  at  ponce,  and  has  grown  very  great.  The 
voice  of  Barbon-ee-to  has  been  heard  always  pleading  for 
peace,  and  his  heart  has  been  strong.  There  is  no  one  to 
gay  nay. 

"My  brothers,  hearken  well  to  the  words  of  the  head  chief. 

"If  the  evil  days  should  ever  come  on  the  nation  when 
war  must  be  made,  then  the  voice  of  Barbon-ce-to  will  be 
heard  in  all  the  land,  calling  upon  the  chiefs  of  the  clans  to 
lead  their  young  men  to  battle. 

"Are  not  the  words  of  Barbon-ce-to  all  good  ?" 

Again  the  chief  paused  for  a  reply,  and  again  a  murmur 
of  voices  arose  among  the  people,  and  the  chiefs  and  the 
principal  men  nodded  their  heads,  even  more  vigorously 
than  before. 

"My  brothers,"  continued  the  head  chief,  "hearken  to 
the  words  of  Barbon-ce-to. 

"A  great  war-path  leads  from  the  council  chamber  to  the 
North.  There  are  no  traces  of  blood  yet  upon  it,  nor  broken 
arrows  to  mark  its  evil  course.  The  grass  grows  green  yet 
upon  it,  and  hides  it  from  view.  Flocks  of  sheep  feed 
quietly  upon  it,  and  are  not  yet  disturbed. 

"This  great  war-path  waits  for  the  ready  feet  of  the  war- 
riors. 

"At  the  first  battle  cry,  the  nocks  and  the  grass  will  dis- 
appear, and  then  whitened  bones  and  dry  withered  roots 
will  soon  take  their  places. 

"Let  the  council  make  haste  to  destroy  this  great  trail,  or 
to  send  the  young  men  upon  it. 

"The  herds  of  the  Utes  have  eaten  grass  in  the  valleys  of 
the  nation,  and  the  herds  of  my  people  have  been  hungry. 


96  STAH-KEE-TA. 

The  Utes  had  hot  words  in  their  mouth  when  they  came, 
and  they  called  the  valleys  their  own. 

"Is  there  better  cause  to  be  found  for  the  battle  cry  of 
the  warriors  ?  Shall  not  the  nation  defend  its  ho-gans  ? 

"Barbon-ce-to  will  answer  for  his  people.  He  need  not 
stop  to  ask  them  what  he  shall  say.  His  words  will  make 
the  hearts  of  the  young  men  rejoice. 

"For  this  purpose,  he  called  the  chiefs  and  the  principal 
men  of  the  nation  to  meet  him  in  the  great '  council  cham- 
ber. He  bade  his  runners  make  haste  with  the  tokens  that 
he  placed  in  their  hands.  He  counted  the  days  of  their  ab- 
sence, and  watched  with  impatience  for  the  coming  of  the 
clans.  They  are  here.  The  chiefs  and  the  principal  men 
are  before  him,  and  his  heart  is  now  glad. 

"My  brothers,  two  days  have  passed  since  a  messenger 
came  from  the  head  chief  of  the  Utes  with  words  of  peace  in 
his  mouth.  The  herds  of  the  Utes  have  been  driven  from 
the  valleys,  never  again  to  return,  and  horses  will  be  given 
to  my  people  for  the  injury  they  have  received. 

"The  face  of  Barboii-cc-to  was  hot  from  his  anger  before 
the  messenger  came.  ]STow  it  is  cool,  and  he  is  ready  to  lis- 
ten to  words  that  are  wise. 

"The  great  medicine -man  of  the  nation  has  spoken  in 
the  ears  of  the  head  chief.  'Peace/  he  said,  and  then  was 
silent.  Barboii-ce-to  bade  him  speak  yet  again,  but  he  had 
no  more  words  in  his  mouth. 

"  The  heart  of  Barbon-ce-to  was  sad  when  the  medicine 
man  spake,  and  he  sat  in  his  lodge  until  the  sun  had  gone 
down,  and  moved  not  in  his  place  until  it  shone  in  the  val- 
leys again.  Then  his  heart  became  glad  because  the  Great 
Spirit  was  kind,  and  had  kept  his  people  from  war. 

"Let  all  the  chiefs  speak.  Has  Barbon-ce-to  been  wise, 
and  are  all  his  words  good?" 


tfAH-KEE-TA.  97 

The  chiefs  and  the  principal  men  bowed  their  heads 
gravely,  and  the  people  remained  silent. 

"It  is  well/'  resumed  the  head  chief.  "There  shall  he 
peace  with  the  Utes.  Barbon-ee-to  has  spoken.  There  are 
no  more  words  in  his  mouth." 

One  after  the  other  the  chiefs  of  the  clans  now  arose  in 
their  places  and  addressed  the  great  council.  The  great  in- 
terest which  had  been  awakened  by  the  speech  of  the  head 
chief  soon  entirely  disappeared,,  and  the  people  gave  indif- 
ferent attention  to  the  formal  speeches  that  followed.  They 
talked  in  subdued  voices  among  themselves,  and  shuffled 
about  uneasily  from  one  phice  to  another. 

Among  the  chiefs  there  were  a  few  speakers  who  were 
noted  in  the  nation  for  their  eloquence.  They  expressed 
their  views  always  with,  vigor,  and  illustrated  their  ideas  by 
pantomime.,  that  all  understood,  and  by  familiar  scenes 
drawn  from  nature.  The  "people  waited  with  impatience 
for  the  time  when  one  of  these  notables  should  rise  to  his 
feet. 

At  last  the  great  v>rar  chief  Manu-le-to,  renowned  among 
his  people  no  less 'for  his  eloquence  than  for  his  skill  as  a 
warrior,  arose  slowly  to  address  the  great  council.  The 
murmuring  voices  of  the  people,  and  the  shuffling  sound  of 
their  feet  upon  the  rocky  floor  of  the  chamber,  ceased  in- 
stantly and  profound  silence  ensued. 

"N ay,  brothers/''  said  the  chief.  ( '  Maau-le-to  has  but 
few  words  in  his  mouth. 

"The  medicine  man  has  spoken,  and  the  words  of  the 
head  chief  are  all  good.  Why  should  the  war  chief 
trouble  the  council  with  more  words  ? 

"There  is  peace  in  the  land,  and  words  should  be  few  and 
well  chosen.  War,  like  a  cloud,  hangs  always  on  the 
border  of  the  nation,  ready  to  drift  on  the  clans. 


98  ^AII-KEE-TA. 

"  War  is  the  common  custom  of  all  the  tribes  beyond  the 
nation,  and  the  nature  of  all  things  that  the  Great  Spirit 
has  made.  Tribe  wars  with  tribe,,  and  one  warrior  with  an- 
other. The  young  men  are  destroyed,  and  the  old  men  are 
wearied  with  watching. 

' '  The  beasts  in  the  mountains  kill  each  other.  The 
birds  in  the  trees,  and  the  fish  in  the  waters  destroy  one 
another. 

"The  fierce  wind  fights  the  mountain  in  its  way,,  and 
drives  the  earth  from  its  top  into  the  valley.  It  hurls  the 
sand  against  the  rocks,  and  eats  holes  in  their  side:;.  The 
grass  dies  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  and  worthless  weeds  eat 
out  the  rich  pastures. 

et  An  old  man  from  the  far  away  country  where  the  sun 
first  appears,  came  once  to  the  ho-gan  of  Manu-le-to.  There 
was  war  among  the  tribes  in  his  land,  and  the  old  man  was 
weary. 

"A  chief  among  his  people  carne  to  the  ho-gan  of  Manu- 
le-to  from  the  shore  of  the  great  water,  where  the  sun  dis- 
appears. His  people  were  at  war  with  all  the  tribes  near 
them,  and  made  their  homes  in  the  canons. 

"A  few  of  the  young  men  of  the  nation  have  journeyed 
across  the  land  of  the  Utes,  and  gone  fj,r  to  the  ISTorth. 
All  the  tribes  in  the  North  arc  at  war,  and  the  people  suf- 
fer for  food. 

"Manu-le-to  has  journeyed  for  many  days  to  the  South, 
where  the  snow  never  falls,  and  the  sun  shines  hot  on  the 
ground.  The  tribes  at  the  South  are  at  war,  and  the  peo- 
ple eat  insects  and  roots. 

"My  brothers,  there  is  war  in  the  country  where  the  sun 
rises,  and  in  the  country  where  it  sets.  There  is  war  in  the 
North,  and  there  is  war  in  the  South.  There  is  no  peace 
anywhere,  but  in  the  land  of  the  nation. 


NAII-NEE-TA.  99 

"My  brothers,  the  Great  Spirit  is  kind.  The  nation  is  at 
peace,  and  it  is  strong.  If  war  comes,  it  must  come  to  make 
peace.  The  nation  will  send  her  young  men  on  the  war- 
path, and  fight  to  make  peace. 

"Manu-le-to  has  spoken.  There  are  no  more  words  in 
his  mouth." 

When  the  war  chief  had  concluded  his  address,  the  people 
at  once  began  to  converse  with  each  other  in  low  in  distinct 
tones.  The  chiefs  and  the  principal  men,  twisted  about  un- 
easily in  their  places,  and  nodded  their  heads  vigorously. 
Several  minutes  elapsed  before  order  was  in  any  manner  re- 
stored, and  the  noise  sufficiently  abated  to  enable  the  coun- 
cil to  proceed. 

There  was  but  one  chief  among  those  yet  to  speak,  whom 
either  the  chiefs  or  the  people  desired  to  hear.  This  chief 
was  Mariano.  He  had  obtained  a  national  reputation  for 
the  eloquence  of  his  language  and  the  wisdom  of  his  words 
in  the  councils  of  his  clan,  and  an  unusual  curiosity  had 
been  awakened  to  see  the  young  chief,  and  hear  his  address. 

He  had  never  yet  stood  before  the  great  council,  and 
with  the  majority  of  the  people  his  reputation  rested  upon 
common  report.  There  was  therefore  a  strong  desire  to  hear 
what  he  would  say,  and  how  well  he  would  say  it. 

At  last  after  a  long  period  had  elapsed,  made  weary  by  in- 
terminable, prosaic  speeches,  the  young  chief  arose  to  address 
the  great  council. 

"My  brothers,"  he  said,  "Mariano  is  the  youngest  among 
the  chiefs  of  the  nation,  and  his  clan  is  the  smallest.  His 
words  have  not  yet  grown  very  strong,  and  they  may  not 
reach  the  ears  of  the  chiefs  of  all  the  great  clans. 

"Mariano  comes  from  the  South,  where  peace  is  not 
known.  The  wild  Apaches  on  one  side,  and  the  hated  Mex- 
icans on  the  other,  stop  not  on  the  war  path  to  hearken  to 
words  that  are  wise. 


100 

"The  neighing  of  stolen  horses,  and  the  cries  of  captive 
maidens,  are  sweeter  in  their  ears  than  all  the  wise  words  of 
peace. 

"The  great  council  cannot  change  either  the  nature  or  the 
customs  of  these  people.  The  strongest  words  of  the  chiefs 
will  be  hurled  at  them  in  vain.  They  laugh  at  words  that 
are  wise,  and  despise  the  warriors  who  use  them. 

"They  howl  like  famished  wolves  about  the  lodges  of  the 
clan,  and  twang  their  bow  strings  in  defiance. 

"My  brothers,  Mariano  once  saw  a  bear  in  the  mountains 
pursued  by  hungry  wolves.  They  snapped  and  snarled  at 
him  and  when  he  turned  slowly  upon  them,  they  hastened 
away.  He  growled  wisely  at  them,  but  because  he  pursued 
them  not  to  their  hurt  they  turned  upon  him  again  more 
quickly  than  before.  They  tore  his  flesh  with  their  teeth 
and  vexed  him  with  wounds.  Then  he  turned  quickly  upon 
them  and  followed  them  at  last  to  their  hurt,  and  they  lied 
from  him  sore  afraid  and.  left  him  in  peace. 

"My  brothers,  Mariano  once  saw  an  eagle  flying  low  along 
the  valley  pursued  by  birds  with  swift  wings.  At  last  the 
eagle  turned  for  his  life  and  followed  his  enemies  wherever 
they  went  until  his  beak  was  made  red  with  their  blood. 
Then  he  flew  away  alone  and  in  peace. 

"My  brothers,  the  nation  must  send  its  warriors  to  pur- 
sue its  enemies  to  their  hurt  or  there  can  be  110  peace. 

"The  Apaches  and  the  Mexicans,  and  the  Utes  if  need  be, 
must  be  pursued  and  sorely  punished,  even  as  the  bear  and 
the  eagle  pursued  their  enemies  to  their  hurt,  or  there  can 
be  no  peace.  Their  ho-gans  must  be  burned,  their  flocks 
must  be  scattered  and  their  herds  must  be  destroyed,  or  there 
can  be  no  peace.  They  must  be  taught  to  fear  the  coming  of 
the  warriors  of  the  nation,  even  as  the  evil  spirits  fear  the 
coming  of  the  light,  or  there  can  be  no  peace. 


NAH-KEE-TA.  101 

"My  brothers,  the  nation  is  very  great  and  its  warriors 
are  all  brave.  Its  chiefs  are  all  wise  and  their  words  are  all 
good.  Yvrhy  should  more  words  be  spoken? 

"Let  the  nation  defend  its  ho-gans  with  more  arrows  and 
less  words. 

"Mariano  has  spoken.  There  are  no  more  words  in  his 
month.-" 

Immediately  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of  the 
young  chief,  a  great  confusion  arose  among  the  people. 
They  began  at  once  to  talk  with  each  other  in  loud,  boister- 
ous voices,  and  in  great  apparent  excitement.  Many  of 
them  arose  to  their  feet  and  pushed  their  way  here  and  there, 
gesticulating  wildly,  and  talking  incessantly.  No  civilized 
assembly  could  ever  have  been  more  thoroughly  disorderly 
than  this  savage  convention  now  had  become.  It  fairly 
rivalled  -for  a  time  the  beggarly  court  of  the  poor  King 
Petaud,  or  the  mad  parliament  at  Oxford. 

Some  of  the  younger  warriors  drew  their  knives  and  bran- 
dished them  defiantly  over  their  heads.  Others  twanged 
their  bow  strings  and  shouted  the  battle  cry.  The  chiefs 
remained  seated,  but  many  of  them  gave  abundant  evidence 
that  they  shared  the  excitement  of  the  people.  They  moved 
about  uneasily  in  their  places,  and  nodded  their  heads 
vigorously  in  every  direction. 

The  head  chief  sagaciously  permitted  himself  to  drift  with 
the  current,  and  bowed  his  head  repeatedly,  to  express  his 
approval  of  the  words  of  the  young  chief.  When  this  con- 
cession was  observed  by  the  people  they  ceased  their  noisy 
demonstrations,  and  at  length  quietly  resumed  their  places 
about  the  circle  of  the  chiefs. 

All  of  these  dignitaries  now  having  spoken,  one  of  the 
principal  men  arose  in  his  place,  and  proceeded  to  deliver 
an  address  to  the  council.  His  speech  soon  proved  to  be 
prosaic  in  the  extreme,  and  his  auditors,  one  after  the  other, 


102  NAH-NEE-TA. 

ceased  to  give  him  their  attention.  The  chiefs  even,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  give  a  patient  and  attentive  hearing  to  every 
one  who  should  speak,  were  scarcely  able  to  conceal  their 
indifference.  The  speaker  could  not  fail  to  observe  that 
the  council  had  closed  its  ears  against  him,  but  custom  had 
made  it  his  privilege  to  speak,  and  he  therefore  continued 
his  address,  hoping  against  fate,  that  he  might  yet  be  able 
to  say  something  which  would  be  acceptable  to  his  hearers. 
But  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  He  expressed  the 
most  radical  views,  without  awakening  even  the  slightest 
enthusiasm.  Pie  offered  a  solution  of  the  subject  under 
consideration,  which  he  assured  the  great  council  was  most 
conclusive  and  important,  without  even  eliciting  a  look  of 
inquiry.  He  advocated  a  relentless  and  uncompromising 
war  against  all  the  enemies  of  the  nation  until  they  were 
utterly  annihilated,  without  even  securing  an  encouraging 
nod  from  the  most  blood-thirsty  of  all  the  advocates  of  the 
war-path.  His  speech  at  last  came  to  an  end,  and  he  sat 
down  in  his  place,  having  failed  to  obtain  the  recognition  he 
coveted. 

He  was  followed  by  a  warrior,  who  spoke  briefly,  and 
closed  a  conventional  address  Avith  an  expression  in  favor  of 
peace. 

Thus,  one  after  the  other,  the  principal  men  succeeded 
each  other,  repeating  for  the  most  part,  almost  to  the  echo, 
the  words  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  popular  speakers  who 
had  preceded  them. 

When  all  of  these  representative  men  had  been  heard, 
Barbon-ce-to  again  arose  to  address  the  great  council,  and 
close  its  proceedings. 

"My  brothers,"  he  said,  "the  chiefs  and  the  principal 
men  have  spoken  for  their  clans. 

"Their  words  have  been  good,  and  the  heart  of  Barbon- 
ce-to  is  glad. 


NAH-WEE-TA. 

"The  head  chief  will  speak  for  the  nation.  His  words 
will  make  the  hearts  of  the  old  men  rejoice.  The  young 
men  will  be  glad. 

"  These  are  the  words  of  the  head  chief.  He  speaks  not 
for  himself.  He  speaks  for  his  people. 

"  There  shall  be  peace  with  the  Utes,  and  war  with  the 
Mexicans  and  the  Apaches.  There  shall  be  wise  words  for 
the  tribes  in  the  North,  and  there  shall  be  barbed  arrows  for 
the  tribes  in  the  South. 

"The  herds  of  the  Utes  must  come  no  more  upon  the 
pasture  ground  of  my  people.  The  warriors  of  the  Mexicans 
and  the  warriors  of  the  Apaches,  must  come  no  more  into 
the  co  Lin  try  of  the  nation. 

"  The  great  council  is  ended.  Barboii-ce-to  has  spoken. 
There  are  no  more  words  in  his  mouth. " 

As  soon  as  Barbon-ce-to  had  concluded  his  address,  the 
chiefs  arid  the  principal  men  arose  to  their  feet,  and  without 
further  ceremony  began  to  file  slowly  and  silently  out  of  the 
great  council  chamber.  After  all  the  chiefs  and  the  princi- 
pal men  had  passed  out,  the  people  began  rapidly  to  follow, 
moving  forward  one  after  the  other,  and  pushing  impatiently 
through  the  narrow  opening  out  on  the  plain. 

A  long  time  elapsed  before  the  last  of  this  restless  proces- 
sion reached  the  entrance  of  the  canon.  The  sun  had  already 
disappeared  behind  the  mountains  when  the  last  individual 
passed  out,  and  dark  shadows  were  rapidly  gathering. 
Behind  him  the  great  council  chamber  was  shrouded  in 
darkness,  and  loathsome  vampires  and  hideous  owls  had 
already  come  up  from  the  unknown  region  beyond,  and 
startled  the  echoes  anew  with  the  clashing  of  their  wings 
and  their  strange,  dismal  voices.  The  dreaded  spirits  of  evil 
were  gathering  in  the  great  council  chamber  with  unseemly 
haste  to  hold  their  vicious  orgies  and  work  evil  to  tha  nation. 


VIII. 

The  great  council  had  ended,  but  there  appeared  to  be  no 
disposition  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  break  up  the  en- 
campments. The  herds  were  driven  to  the  pastures  at  the 
usual  hour  on  the  following  morning,  and  blankets  and 
robes  were  carefully  folded  and  tied  together  in  bundles 
with  the  deliberation  common  to  every  day  life. 

The  affairs  of  state  had  been  settled  to  the  apparent  sat- 
isfaction of  all,  and  there  was  no  further  necessity  for  the 
presence  of  the  chiefs.  But  a  time-honored  custom  existed 
of  continuing  the  encampments  after  the  conclusion  of  the 
council,  for  a  short  period  of  feasting  and  dancing,  and  gen- 
eral enjoyment.  It  was  evident  that  this  custom  was  now 
to  be  observed,  and  that  the  people  were  about  to  indulge  in 
a  grand  holiday  occasion.  There  was  to  be  racing  of  men 
and  of  horses,  and  exhibitions  of  strength  and  of  skill. 
There  were  to  be  games  of  chance,  for  robes  and  for  blan- 
kets, and  for  buttons  of  silver  and  brilliant  stones.  There 
was  to  be  buying  and  selling,  and  changing  of  goods.  In 
short  a  veritable  fair  and  an  unceremonious  festival  occa- 
sion. 

At  an  early  hour  of  the  day  a  great  crowd  gathered  about 
the  encampment  of  the  Utes,  to  examine  the  robes  and  the 
blankets  which  the  strangers  desired  to  exchange,  and  to 
look  at  the  horses  they  had  brought  from  the  North  to  as- 
tonish the  nation  by  their  beauty  and  speed.  One  of  these 
animals  had  been  tethered  to  the  shaft  of  a  lance,  that  had 
been  driven  in  the  ground  near  the  encampment  of  the 
Utes.  From  the  top  of  the  shaft  a  red  ribbon  now  floated 
lazily  in  the  breeze,  as  a  challenge  for  a  race. 

The  conditions  upon  which  all  games  and  races  depended 

104 


NAH-NEE-TA.  105 

were  indicated  by  a  display  of  symbols  and  signs,  of  well 
known  significance.  All  articles  which  were  to  be  jeopard- 
ized by  the  result,  were  publicly  exhibited,  and  usually  at- 
tached in  some  way  to  the  lance  from  which  the  challenge 
was  floated.  N^o  words  were  ordinarily  found  necessary  to 
supplement  the  conditions  indicated  by  the  signs,  or  the 
services  of  judges  required  to  settle  disputes. 

The  runner,  To-me,  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd 
and  stood  quietly  for  a  while  among  his  companions,  look- 
ing at  the  beautiful  animal  that  was  tethered  to  the  lance. 
At  last  he  stooped  down  and  began  slowly  counting  the 
number  of  pebbles  displayed  at  the  foot  of  the  shaft  to  in- 
dicate the  distance  of  the  race.  As  he  laid  the  last  one  aside 
a  warrior  near  him  enquired  softly. 

' '  How  many,  my  brother  ?  " 

"Five  hundred/'  he  replied,  and  turning  about  quickly, 
he  walked  hurriedly  away.  In  a  short  time  he  returned, 
leading  his  horse  after  him,  and  again  approaching  the 
lance,  he  seized  the  red  ribbon  and  tore  it  from  its  fasten- 
ings. 

To-me,  with  his  usual  impetuosity,  had  accepted  the  chal- 
lenge. He  had  acted  in  a  spirit  of  bravado,  rather  than 
from  any  decided  conviction  that  he  would  be  successful. 
The  warriors  of  the  nation  who  were  rich  in  fine  horses, 
had  not  shown  any  disposition  to  accept  the  challenge  of  the 
strangers,  and  To-me,  piqued  by  the  want  of  spirit  they  dis- 
played, had  determined  to  set  them  a  worthy  example,  even 
though  he  should  suffer  the  loss  of  his  horse. 

One  of  the  Utes  came  forward  at  once  and  unfastened  the 
horse,  and  drew  the  lance  from  the  ground.  The  two  war- 
riors then  walked  together  out  over  the  course  leading  their 
horses  behind  them,  and  counting  their  steps  as  they  went. 
When  they  had  reached  the  distance  indicated  by  the  peb- 


106  XAH-^EE-TA. 

bles,  the  Ute  thrust  the  lance  in  the  ground,  to  mark  the 
end  of  the  course.  Turning  immediately  about,  they  walked 
rapidly  back  to  the  encampment. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  Utes  were  busily  engaged  in  offer- 
ing wagers  of  blankets  and  robes,  upon  the  result  of  the  race. 
There  appeared  to  be  no  probability,  however,  that  it  could 
terminate  otherwise  than  in  favor  of  the  strangers,  and  none 
of  their  oilers  were  therefore  accepted. 

To-me  was  more  indignant  £han  ever,  when  he  returned 
from  the  end  of  the  course,  to  learn  that  not  even  one  poor 
little  wager  had  been  made  by  his  friends.  Seizing  his 
blanket,  he  tore  it  from  his  shoulders  and  threw  it  upon  the 
ground  as  a  wager.  It  was  immediately  covered  by  a  robe 
of  great  value  and  beauty,  and  the  two  were  suffered  to  re- 
main where  they  fell,  to  await  the  result  of  the  race. 

All  was  now  ready,  and  the  riders  hastily  mounted  their 
horses. 

"Go!"  shouted  a  voice  from  the  crowd,  and  instantly 
the  horses  sprang  away  on  the  course. 

To-me7 s  horse  was  unusually  fleet,  and  for  a  time  the  two 
animals  ran  closely  together,  without  any  perceptible  ad- 
vantage to  either.  The  people  had  expected  to  see  the  strange 
horse  dash  immediately  ahead,  and  eventually  win  the  race 
with  great  ease.  To  their  great  surprise  and  intense  gratifi- 
cation, they  observed  that  the  horses  were  apparently  well 
matched,  and  that  the  race  promised  to  be  close.  They 
clapped  their  hands  incessantly,  and  shouted  until  they  were 
hoarse. 

"  Go  on,  To-me  !  Go  on,  To-me  ! " 

"A  horse  to  wager  that  the  runner  will  win/'  cried  a  voice 
n  the  crowd. 

"A  horse  to  wager  that  the  woman  will  loose,"  replied  a 
warrior . 


NAH-KEE-TA.  107 

"Go  on,  To-rne  !  Go  on,  To-me !  "  still  shouted  the 
crowd. 

"  To-me  will  win  !  To-me  will ."• 

The  cry  died  away  in  an  incomplete  sentence.  *The  Ute 
had  suddenly  shot  far  ahead  and  was  rapidly  closing  the 
race.  To-me  was  struggling  hopelessly  after,  each  moment 
falling  farther  behind.  The  crowd  ceased  its  clamor,  and 
looked  on  in  silence,  awaiting  the  apparently  inevitable  re- 
sult. 

"  Po-lone  was  hasty,  and  has  lost  her  wager,"  cried  the 
warrior  exultingly. 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  the  horse  of  the  Ute  stum- 
bled forward  in  his  flight,  and  fell  headlong  to  the  ground. 
The  animal  rolled  over  and  over  in  a  great  cloud  of  dust 
'that  immediately  hid  him  and  his  rider  from  view.  To-me 
shot  ahead  in  an  instant,  and  as  he  dashed  past  the  lance 
that  marked  the  end  of  the  course,  he  drew  it  from  the  ground 
and  waved  it  in  triumph  over  his  head. 

To-me  had  won. 

Fortunately,  neither  the  Ute  nor  his  horse  had  received 
any  material  injury  from  the  fall,  and  the  great  crowcj.  of 
people  united  in  a  shout  when  he  again  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  forward  to  join  the  victorious  To-me. 

As  the  two  warriors  approached  the  encampment  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  people  increased,  and  they  pressed  forward 
eagerly  to  meet  them.  The  riders  moved  on  through  the 
crowd  to  the  end  of  the  course,  and  then  the  Ute  slowly  dis- 
mounted and  surrendered  the  posession  of  his  horse.  This 
was  the  signal  for  shouting  again,  and  To-me  rode  away 
with  the  robe  and  the  horse  he  had  won,  amid  a  perfect 
ovation  of  cheers  and  much  clapping  of  hands. 

By  this  time  little  red  flags  were  flying  from  the  top  of 
lance  staffs  in  every  direction,  and  the  people  quickly  dis- 
persed in  search  of  some  new  excitement. 


108  NAH-NEE-TA. 

Shouts  could  be  heard  in  all  the  encampments,  and  men 
could  be  seen  running  and  jumping  and  riding,  for  wagers, 
or  pleasure,  or  fame. 

Noisy  groups  gathered  in  places  about  athletic  wrestlers, 
and  swayed  uneasily  to  and  fro,  as  the  struggling  contest- 
ants forced  each  other  from  one  point  to  another. 

Eager  crowds  collected  at  times  about  each  lance  staff 
that  floated  a  challenge  to  learn  the  conditions  of  the  con- 
tests proposed  and  examine  the  wagers  that  were  offered. 

Warriors  exhibited  their  skill  in  the  use  of  their  weapons, 
in  friendly  contests  with  each  other,  and  shot  their  barbed 
arrows  and  hurled  their  tomahawks  and  knives  with  won- 
derful precision.  Others  exhibited  remarkable  feats  of 
strength,  and  hurled  great  stones  from  their  hands  which 
an  ordinary  warrior  could  scarcely  lift  from  the  ground. 

In  every  direction  there  was  something  of  interest  to  be 
seen,  and  crowds  of  good  humored  spectators  jostling  each 
other  in  common,  anxious  to  express  their  delight  and 
approval  at  every  opportunity.  A  great  free  clay  had  come 
for  the  people,  without  discrimination  of  rank  or  position, 
and  the  chiefs  and  the  warriors,  and  the  squaws,  and  the 
peons,  mingled  promiscuously  in  the  crowds,  and  bantered 
each  other  as  opportunity  presented,  for  trials  of  skill  or 
the  hazard  of  wagers. 

Immediately  after  the  conclusion  of  the  race  between 
To-me  and  the  Ute,  the  woman  Po-lone  hastened  away  to 
receive  the  horse  she  had  won,  and  place  it  in  charge  of  her 
peon.  After  she  had  accomplished  this  purpose  she  spread 
a  robe  on  the  ground  near  her  encampment,  and  seating 
herself  upon  it,  she  began  shuffling  a  pack  of  strange  look- 
ing cards  with  great  skill  and  ostentation.  Close  by  her 
side,  some  rich  blankets  of  beautiful  patterns,  a  few  buttons 
of  silver,  and  some  articles  of  use  and  ornamentation,  were 
displayed. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  109 

The  cards  that  she  held  in  her  hands  had  been  cut  from 
the  thin  skins  of  young  kids  and  trimmed  to  a  uniform  size 
with  a  knife.  They  were  almost  circular  in  shape  and  had 
been  cut  with  such  exactness,  that  a  difference  could  not  be 
detected  in  their  size  or  their  thickness.  They  were  painted 
with  images  of  chiefs  and  of  warriors,  and  of  beasts  and 
of  birds,  and  inanimate  things,  to  represent  different  values. 

Po-lone  shuffled  them  about  from  one  hand  to  the  other 
with  remarkable  dexterity,  and  soon  attracted  a  crowd  to 
witness  her  performance. 

At  last  she  threw  a  large  button  of  silver  on  the  robe  and 
shook  the  cards  at  the  spectators  as  a  banter  to  play.  The 
people  nodded  their  heads  and  challenged  each  other  to  try 
their  fortunes  with  the  cards.  A  warrior  presently  threw  a 
button  of  silver  by  the  side  of  the  wager  and  sat  down  on 
the  robe.  Then  another  warrior  sat  down,  and  finally  two 
squaws  followed  their  example  and  seated  themselves  on  the 
robe  and  cast  down  their  broad  pieces  of  silver. 

Po-lone  laid  down  the  cards  as  a  signal  that  the  lists* were 
now  closed,  and  that  the  game  would  begin.  The  warrior 
who  sat  next  her  took  up  the  cards  and  shuffled  them  nim- 
bly for  a  moment  and  then  passed  them  to  the  next  player 
in  the  circle.  This  process  was  accomplished  successively 
by  each  of  the  players  and  the  cards  were  then  carefully  re- 
placed on  the  robe  in  front  of  the  woman. 

Taking  them  up  quickly,  she  snapped  off  the  top  card  by 
a  nervous  motion  with  her  hand.  She  turned  the  card  over 
and  revealed  to  the  eager  view  of  the  players  the  picture  of 
a  beast.  Casting  the  card  before  the  first  player  on  her 
right,  she  again  snapped  off  the  card  on  the  top  of  the  pack 
and  exposed  it  to  view.  It  was  marked  with  the  image  of  a 
bird,  and  was  cast  before  the  next  player  in  turn.  The 
beast  was  stronger  than  the  bird,  and  the  first  card  was 
the  best. 


110  tfAH-NEE-TA. 

Again  she  snapped  off  a  card  from  the  top  of  the  pack 
and  exposed  it  to  view.  It  bore  the  image  of  a  chief.  The 
spectators  at  once  expressed  their  delight  by  a  shout,  and 
the  squaw  who  received  the  winning  card  clapped  her  hands 
nervously  and  chuckled  with  joy  over  her  good  fortune. 

"Bah!"  cried  Po-lone.  "The  squaw  ^already  counts 
one." 

As  she  spoke  she  thrust  her  hand  in  a  pouch  that  hung  at 
her  girdle,  and  drew  out  a  beautiful  white  pebble  of  trans- 
parent quartz  and  placed  it  before  the  squaw  to  mark  her 
first  winning. 

Again  a  card  was  snapped  off  from  the  top  of  the  pack 
and  the  picture  of  a  bird  was  exposed. 

"The  chiefs  go  much  together,"  exclaimed  the  squaw 
who  had  received  the  last  card.  "Why  do  they  come  alone 
from  the  pack  ?" 

"The  chiefs  mingle  with  the  people  on  free  days,"  an- 
swered a  voice  from  the  crowd. 

"Bah  ! "  cried  Po-lone,  as  she  drew  a  card  from  the  top 
for  herself  and  exposed  the  picture  of  a  warrior.  "Bah! 
If  the  chief  had  not  come,  the  warrior  would  have  been 
best." 

Again  the  same  process  was  repeated  and  each  of  the 
players  was  served  with  a  card.  Two  birds  were  thrown 
down  and  a  beast  proved  victorious.  The  holder  of  the 
beast  received  a  white  pebble  to  mark  his  success. 

A  third  time  the  cards  were  dealt  off,  and  a  warrior  fell 
before  the  squaw  who  had  won  the  first  count,  and  she  re- 
ceived another  pebble. 

A  fourth  time  and  a  chief  again  fell  before  her,  bringing 
her  third  winning  and  the  possession  of  the  wagers. 

"Me-ra!"she  cried  exultingly.  "The  words  of  the 
squaw  were  all  good.  The  chiefs  go  much  together.  Two 
came  from  the  pack  and  fell  at  the  feet  of  Sin-ma-tula." 


NAH-NEE-TA.  HI 

% 

She  rubbed  her  hands  industriously  together,  and  in- 
dulged in  a  low  chuckling  laugh  over  her  chiefs  and  her 
three  winning  pebbles. 

The  spectators  were  vastly  amused  at  the  earnestness  of  the 
squaw,  and  laughed  loudly  at  the  extravagant  display  which 
she  made.  At  last  she  gave  back  the  cards  and  the  pebbles 
to  the  woman,  and  gathering  together  the  five  broad  buttons 
of  silver,  she  fastened  them  slowly,  with  trembling  fingers, 
to  her  girdle. 

Again  Po-lone  cast  down  a  wager,  and  each  of  the  players 
covered  it  at  once  with  a  similar  article,  or  with  others  of 
similar  value.  The  cards  were  then  shuffled  by  the  players 
in  succession,  and  the  game  proceeded  as  before.  Po-lone 
was  the  winner  this  time,  and  when  the  game  closed  she 
quietly  gathered  the  cards  all  together,  and  drew  her  win- 
nings towards  her  without  exhibiting  the  least  evidence  of 
emotion. 

One  game  now  followed  another  in  rapid  succession,  the 
greater  share  of  the  winnings  finding  their  way  to  the  dealer. 
The  good  fortune  of  the  squaw  Sin-ma-tula  deserted  her 
after  the  first  game  had  been  played.  The  chiefs  fell  no 
more  at  her  feet.  The  birds  and  the  beasts  even  refused 
her  the  small  hope  they  could  bring,  and  losing  cards  only 
now  fell  before  her.  She  continued,  however,  to  play,  stimu- 
lated by  the  hope  that  her  good  fortune  might  eventually 
return.  After  each  successive  loss,  she  placed  her  hope  upon 
the  venture  to  follow,  and  hastened  each  time,  more  eagerly 
than  before,  to  cast  down  her  wager.'  One  after  the  other, 
the  five  pieces  of  silver  that  she  had  fastened  at  her  girdle 
were  successively  ventured  and  lost. 

At  last  she  ventured  her  blanket,  the  work  of  her  own 
skillful  hands,  over  which  she  had  toiled  day  after  day,  for 
a  whole  year,  to  weave  and  embroider.  A  considerable  time 


112  XAH-NEE-TA. 

was  necessarily  consumed  in  the  selection  of  articles  that 
she  was  willing  to  accept  as  fair  wagers  against  her  rich 
venture.  When  all  this  preliminary  work  was  arranged,  a 
pile  of  great  value  lay  before  her,  with  ten  horses  at  least, 
from  the  best  herds  in  the  nation.  Choice  robes  of  rare 
animals  and  handsome  fabrics  of  wool  lay  one  above  the 
other,  and  numbers  of  great  broad  buttons  of  silver,  partially 
concealed  by  the  folds  of  the  robes  and  the  fabrics,  glistened 
in  the  sun  like  imbedded  jewels.  But  the  blanket  of  the 
squaw,  beautiful  because  of  its  exquisite  texture,  the  symmetry 
of  its  interwoven  figures,  and  its  richly  embroidered  edges, 
was  most  conspicuous  of  all  the  many  object  in  the  pile. 

The  spectators  looked  on  in  silence,  and  the  players  sat  in 
their  places,  immovable  as  statues.  The  cards  went  around 
at  length,  from  one  to  the  other,  and  after  much  nervous 
shuffling  and  many  meaningless  ceremonials  and  abracadabras 
said  over  them  to  influence  a  fortunate  result,  they  were  at 
last  returned  to  the  woman. 

To  the  delight  of  the  people  who  thronged  about  the 
players,  the  squaw  Sin-ma-tula  won  the  first  count.  She 
rubbed  her  hands  joyfully  together  and  chuckled  aloud  over 
her  good  fortune. 

Again  the  game  proceeded,  and  cards  marked  with  chiefs 
and  with  warriors,  and  with  beasts,  and  with  birds,  and  with 
inanimate  things,  fell  before  the  players  in  rapid  succession. 
The  spectators  jostled  each  other  and  pressed  closer  together 
in  their  eagerness  to  witness  the  play,  and  when  at  length 
the  squaw  again  was  successful  they  gave  expression  of  their 
sympathy  for  her  by  a  shout. 

The  squaw  now  held  two  pebbles  to  mark  her  two  win- 
nings, and  her  final  success  appeared  well  assured.  ^STone 
of  the  other  players  had  yet  now  a  count,  while  she  had  but 
one  more  to  make. 


^AII-XEE-TA.  113 

The  game  went  on  immediately  again,  and  the  best  card 
came  next  to  the  woman.  She  helped  herself  quietly  to  a 
pebble  'from  her  pouch,  and  again  dealt  the  cards  to  the 
players.  Once  more  the  best  card  fell  before  her,,  and  she 
again  won  a  count.  Her  chances  for  final  success  were  now 
equally  good  with  the  squaw.  Probably  indeed  they  were 
better,  for  she  was  expert  with  the  cards  and,  from  some 
cause  or  other  known  best  to  herself,  she  was  usually  success- 
ful when  the  wagers  were  large. 

A  warrior  won  the  next  count  and  by  a  strange  coincidence 
won  immediately  again.  Then  his  brave  companion  re- 
ceived the  best  card,  and  after  him  the  squaw  wTho  sat  by 
the  side  of  Sin-ma-tula. 

Again  the  cards  were  carefully  shuffled  in  the  sa,me  man- 
ner as  before,  and  the  woman  snapped  them  off  spitefully 
one  after  the  other,  and  threw  them  down  on  the  robe.  A 
losing  card  was  the  first,  and  then  came  a  beast.  A  war- 
rior followed  next  for  the  squaw  Sin-ma-tula,  and  a  bird 
succeeded  for  the  squaw  who  sat  by  her  side.  A  card  was 
yet  to  be  removed  from  the  pack  for  the  woman,  and  the 
issue  of  the  game  rested  entirely  on  its  value.  Po-lone 
ceased  to  snap  the  cards  from  the  pack,  and,  with  great 
deliberation  removed  one  for  herself  and  extended  it  before 
her.  She  averted  her  face  that  she  might  not  see  the  card 
as  she  turned  it  over  slowly  with  her  hand  and  let  it  fall  on 
the  robe. 

So  soon  as  the  face  of  the  card  was  exposed  to  the  view  of 
the  players,  the  squaw  Sin-ma-tula  uttered  a  deep  groan, 
and  a  low  murmur  of  voices  immediately  arose  in  the  crowd. 

Po-lone  at  once  understood  the  significance  of  these 
sounds,  and,  turning  her  head  quickly  about,  looked  at  the 
card.  It  bore  the  image  of  a  chief.  The  rich  wagers,  the 
blankets  and  robes  and  the  broad  buttons  of  silver,  were  now 


114  :NTAH-XEE-TA. 

all  her  own.  She  slowly  drew  them  towards  her  without 
evincing  the  least  sign  of  emotion,  and  placed  them  at  her 
side  with  her  previous  winnings. 

Poor  Siii-ma-tula  bowed  down  her  head  and  remained 
silent.  No  one  about  her  knew  the  extent  of  her  grief. 
She  had  sat  down  at  the  game  possessed  of  many  valuable 
articles  of  personal  use  and  adornment.  The  last  one  was 
gone,  and  she  was  now  utterly  impoverished  and  wretched. 

Po-lone  hastened  to  put  an  end  to  the  scene,  and  casting 
a  silver  button  upon  the  robe  hurriedly  offered  it  as  a  wager. 
Her  challenge  met  prompt  response  from  all  of  the  players, 
except  from  the  squaw,  who  still  sat  in  her  place  with  her 
head  bowed  on  her  breast,  and  her  face  hid  in  her  hands. 

"Will  the  squaw  again  venture  a  wager ?"  enquired  Po- 
lone. 

"Nay,"  she  replied,  uncovering  her  face  and  raising  her 
head.  "  Nay,  Sin-ma-tula  has  nothing  left  now  to  venture/' 

"Another  wager  might  win/'  said  one  of  the  warriors, 
'"and  the  squaw  soon  again  would  be  rich." 

" Sin-ma-tula  has  nothing  left  now  but  herself,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"  The  services  of  the  squaw  for  a  moon,  would  be  a  fair 
wager  against  a  button  of  silver,"  suggested  Po-lone. 

"Nay,"  cried  the  squaw  with  great  animation.  "Nay, 
a  button  of  silver  is  but  a  small  thing,  and  a  moon  is  soon 
passed.  Let  the  woman  wager  the  blanket  that  once  was 
Sin-ma-tula's." 

"And  what  will  the  squaw  wager  ?"  asked  Po-lone. 

•f  Sin-ma-tula  will  wager  herself  for  twelve  moons  against 
the  blanket,"  she  replied^  desperately. 

The  players  nodded  their  heads,  and  hastened  at  once  to 
make  offers  of  wagers  of  equal  value  with  the  blanket. 
When  this  had  all  been  accomplished  to  the  satisfaction  of 


NAH-NEE-TA.  115 

the-  squaw,  Po-lone  carelessly  cast  tlie  blanket  upon  the  pile, 
and  passed  the  pack  to  be  shuffled.  The  cards  passed  around 
the  circle  as  before  and  were  at  last  returned  to  the  woman. 

Sin-ma-tula  was  the  first  to  win  a  count  and  immediately 
thereafter  the  squaw  who  sat  by  her  side  was  equally  fortu- 
nate. Then  one  of  the  warriors  won  twice  in  succession, 
and  Po-lone  after  him  won  also  a  count. 

The  spectators  had  apparently  lost  all  sympathy  for  the 
infatuated  squaw,  and  they  looked  on  in  silence  to  witness 
the  result  of  her  last  rash  venture.  They  had  not  long  to 
wait.  The  warrior  who  had  already  two  pebbles  now  won 
again,  and  the  squaw,  and  the  blanket,  and  the  other  rich 
wagers,  were  at  last  all  his  own.  With  cruel  haste  he  at  once 
ordered  the  squaw  to  go  to  his  encampment  in  the  clan  of 
the  war  chief,  Manu-le-to,  and  wait  there  until  he  should 
come. 

The  poor  creature  sat  motionless  like  one  in  a  daze,  until 
her  new  master  in  a  peremptory  voice  bade  her  "begone  V 

She  had  scarcely  gotten  up  from  her  place  when  a  squaw 
elbowed  her  way  through  the  crowd  to  sit  down  on  the  robe. 

"Nay/'  cried  Po-lone,  who  had  caught  sight  of  a  familiar 
face  in  the  crowd.  "Nay,  let  the  squaw  wait  for  a  while. 
The  runner,  To-me,  desires  to  play  and  he  shall  have  the 
place  of  Sin-ma-tula." 

"The  woman  is  kind/'  said  the  runner,  "but  To-me 
will  not  take  the  place  of  the  squaw.  Fleet  horses  are  better 
than  cards,  and  trials  of  strength  and  of  skill  are  more  to 
his  liking." 


To-me  walked  rapidly  away  from  the  group  of  card 
players  and  hastened  towards  the  encampment  of  the'  Utes. 
As  he  drew  near  it  he  observed  that  a  red  flag  again  floated 
from  the  top  of  a  lance  to  which  a  poor  old  horse  had  been 
tethered. 

He  could  scarcely  believe  what  he  saw,  and  for  a  short 
time  fully  doubted  the  sincerity  of  the  Utes  in  flying  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  nation  to  run  against  so  indifferent  a  champion. 
It  was  evident  at  least,  he  reasoned  at  length,  that  they  in- 
tended to  accomplish  some  trick.  Possibly,  though,  they 
believed  that  the  running  horse  he  had  won  in  the  morning 
had  been  so  severely  injured  by  his  fall  that  it  would  pre- 
vent his  appearance  again  on  the  track,  and  so  dared  to 
venture  in  good  faith  this  inferior  animal.  It  would  be  easy 
he  thought,  if  such  was  the  case,  to  teach  them  a  lesson. 

Without  further  reflection  he  hastily  approached  and  tore 
the  flag  from  its  fastening.  Then  bidding  the  Utes  await 
his  return,  he  hurried  away  for  his  new  running  horse.  He 
returned  presently,  leading  the  beautiful  animal  behind 
him,  and  joining  the  Ute  who  had  oifered  the  challenge, 
the  two  at  once  led  their  horses  over  the  track.  Then 
they  hastily  mounted  and  at  the  word  for  departure,  given 
by  a  spectator  selected  for  the  purpose,  fhe  horses  bounded 
away  on  the  course. 

To-me  took  the  lead  almost  at  the  start  and  ran  quickly 
away  from  the  Ute.  When  he  arrived  near  the  end  of  the 
track,  the  Ute  under  pretense  of  urging  his  horse,  shouted 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Sa-loo  !  Sa-loo  I" 

Instantly  the  intelligent  animal  ridden  by  the  runner 
slackened  his  speed  and  turned  from  the  track.  All  the 

116 


JTA.H-NEE-TA.  117 

efforts  of  To-me  to  coriipel  him  to  go  on  proved .  utterly  use  - 
less.  In  the  meantime  the  horse  ridden  by  the  Ute  ran 
forward  at  fairly  good  speed  and  at  last  reached  the  end  of 
the  course. 

To-me  struggled  manfully  while  hope  yet  remained,  to 
regain  control  of  his  horse.  He  gave  up  at  last  ';and  per- 
mitted the  animal  to  follow  along  passively  behind  the  vic- 
torious Ute. 

As  they  drew  near  the  crowd  of  spectators  that  had  gath- 
ered to  witness  the  race,  the  Utes  greeted  their  companion 
with  shouts  and  loud  clapping  of  hands,  but  the  Navajos 
looked  on  in  silence. 

"  The  running  horse  is  well  trained,"  said  To-me,  bitterly, 
as  he  delivered  him  up  to  his  former  owner,  "and  the  Ute 
has  won  by  a  trick/' 

"Nay,"  replied  the  Ute,  "my  brother  knows  not  how  to 
ride  the  fleet-footed  Sa-loo." 

"Hist!"  cried  To-me,  testily,  "let  not  the  Ute  call  a 
Navajo,  brother.  The  meanest  warrior  in  the  nation  would 
despise  to  play  the  trick  which  the  Ute  has  just  played,  not 
even  to  win  the  beautiful  Sa-loo." 

"The  words  of  To-me  are  hot,"  replied  the  Ute,  and 
turning  about  he  walked  quickly  away  towards  his  en- 
campment. 

"Is  the  Ute  a  squaw?"  cried  the  passionate  To-me,  "that 
he  should  run  away  with  hot  words  in  his  ears." 

Drawing   his    knife    from   its   sheath   as    he   spoke,    he 

nourished  it  over  his  head  and  hastened  at  once  in  pursuit. 

The  Ute  stopped  immediately  and  also  drawing  his  knife 

stood  waiting  the  approach  of   the   runner.     One   instant 

more  and  a  desperate  conflict  would  have  doubtless  begun, 

involving  more  in  the  end  then  a  mere  personal  encounter. 

The  Utes  would  have  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  their 

champion,  and  the  Navajos   to  the   support   of   their   hot- 


118  KAH-XEE-TA. 

headed  champion.  Such  a  conflict  could  only  have  ended 
in^the  total  destruction  of  the  Utes,  and  then  all  the  wise 
words  which  the  head  chief  might  utter,,  and  all  his  great 
influence  for  peace,,  would  haye  been  of  little  avail  to  avert 
a  relentless  war; between  the  two  nations. 

Fortunately  a  chief  of  one  of  the  great  clans  hastened 
from  among  the  spectators  at  this  critical  moment,  and  in- 
terposed his  authority  to  restrain  the  impetuous  To-me. 
In  a  short  time  quiet  again  was  restored,  and  To-me  was 
hurried  away  by  his  friends. 

But  a  brief  period,,  however,  had  elapsed  when  he  again 
made  his  appearance,  leading  after  him  his  own  faithful 
horse,  and  carrying  a  lance  in  his  hand,  to  which  a  red  rib- 
bon was  attached.  Approaching  the  encampment  of  the  Utes; 
he  thrust  the  lance  in  the  ground  and  hastily  tethered  his  horse 
to  the  staff.  Then  quickly  removing  his  moccasins  from 
his  feet,  he  cast  them  on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  the  lance. 

The  Navajos  at  once  understood  for  whom  this  challenge 
was  intended,  and  although  there  were  many  fleet-footed 
warriors  in  the  nation  who  would  ordinarily  have  been  glad 
to  lay  a  wager  with  To-me  on  the  result  of  a  personal  race 
with  .him,  they  now  stood  quietly  aside  waiting  to  see  the 
outcome  of  the  challenge  which  he  thus  ostentatiously  of- 
fered to  the  Ute. 

The  strangers  themselves  comprehended  fully  the  purpose 
of  the  challenge,  and  they  drew  hurriedly  together  in  a 
group  by  themselves,  and  conversed  busily  with  each  other. 
It  was  evident  to  them  that  the  irrepressible  To-me  would 
force  them  from  one  contest  to  another  until  he  had  estab- 
lished his  superiority  in  some  particular  direction,  or  had 
been  signally  defeated. 

The  Ute  was  a  tall  muscular  fellow,  and  one  of  the  fleetest 
warriors  in  his  tribe.  He  felt  perfectly  confident  of  his 


NAH-KEE-TA.  119 

ability  to  contest  successfully  in  ;.i  personal  race  with  the 
runner,  but  at  the  same  time  he  feared  that  victory  would 
be  more  disastrous  to  himself  and  his  companions  than  de- 
feat. For  some  time  he  was  in  doubt  what  course  to  pursue; 
but  finally,  acting  on  the  advice  of  his  people,  he  deter- 
mined to  accept  the  challenge,  and  win  the  race  if  he  could. 

The  conference  of  the  Utes  caused  some  delay,  and  the 
Navajos  who  had  gathered  to  witness  the  result  of  the  chal- 
lenge, became  quickly  impatient,  and  at  last  began  to  in- 
dulge in  taunting  expressions  and  shouts  of  defiance. 

" Where  is  the  Ute,"  cried  one,  "who  wins  by  a  trick?" 

"He  has  gone  to  his  ho-gan,"  replied  another,  "to  sad- 
dle a  horse  for  his  squaw/ ' 

And  then  there  followed  a  shout  and  a  laugh  and  much 
clapping  of  hands. 

Finally  the  Ute  approached  the  group,  leading  behind 
him  the  running  horse  Sa-loo.  Without  looking  to  the  right 
or  the  left,  he  proceeded  hurriedly  to  the  lance  and  violently 
tore  the  ribbon  from  the  staff.  Then,  fastening  his  horse  to 
the  lance,  he  announced  that  he  was  ready  to  run  upon  any 
terms  which  the  Navajo  might  name. 

The  signs  that  were  displayed  at  the  foot  of  the  lance  in- 
dicated that  the  race  should  be  made  for  a  hundred  paces, 
and  then  back  again  to  the  point  of  original  departure.  The 
runners  were  required  by  the  symbols  displayed  to  stop  for 
an  instant  on  arriving  at  the  further  end  of  the  course  be- 
fore the  return  should  begin. 

To-me  made  no  response  to  the  boastful  offer  of  the  Ute 
to  concede  him  more  favorable  terms,  and  the  necessary 
preliminaries  were  speedily  arranged. 

A  Navajo  and  a  Ute  immediately  proceeded  to  measure 
the  distance  to  be  run,  and  then  each  one  placed  a  large 
stone  to  mark  the  end  of  the  course.  All  now  was  ready, 


120  XAH-NEE-TA. 

and  a  spectator  was  named  to  give  the  word  for  the  start. 
"Go  I"  he  shouted,  and  instantly  the  men  sprang  away. 
They  ran  handsomely  together  until  near  the  farther  end  of 
the  track,  when  the  Ute  sprang  suddenly  ahead,  and  first 
reached  the  stone  which  had  been  placed  by  his  companion. 
He  stood  erect  upon  it  for  an  instant,  and  then,  stooping 
down  to  gather  his  strength  for  a  tremendous  effort,  leaped 
suddenly  forward.  Unfortunately  for  him,  the  stone  upon 
which  he  stood  was  not  sufficiently  large  nor  well  enough 
Imbedded  in  the  ground  to  afford  a  good  hold  for  his  feet. 
As  he  sprang  forward  it  suddenly  gave  way  and  he  fell  heavily 
to  the  ground. 

In  the  meantime,  To-me,  who  had  run  steadily  forward, 
carefully  husbanding  his  strength,  reached  the  stone  which 
had  been  placed  by  his  companion,  and  standing  upon  it 
for  an  instant,  sprang  heavily  away,  and  sped  past  the  pros- 
trate Ute  towards  the  first  starting  point  on  the  course.  In 
a  moment  his  antagonist  sprang  to  his  feet  and  leaped  for- 
ward again.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  the  Navajo  had 
acquired  a  considerable  advantage  by  the  fall  of  the  Ute, 
and  as  he  came  on,  maintaining  his  position  several  paces  in 
advance  with  much  apparent  ease,  his  friends  cheered  him 
forward  with  shouts  and  encouraging  exclamations. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  race,  and  while  the  advan- 
tage all  rested  with  the  Ute,  his  companions  cheered  him 
on  and  clapped  their  hands  in  great  glee  over  the  prospect 
of  an  easy  victory  for  their  champion.  They  now  became 
silent  and  anxious  and  looked  on  with  gloomy  faces  and 
muttered  among  themselves  against  the  ill  fortune  that  so 
persistently  attended  them. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  two  runners  were  coming  back  on 
the  course  in  fine  style  and  rapidly  nearing  the  end  of  the 
.race.  To-me  was  straining  every  nerve  now  to  maintain  his 


NAH-IJEE-TA.  121 

advantage,,  and  the  Ute  was  slowly  but  snrely  closing  the 
gap  that  existed  between  them.  At  last  they  reached  the 
end  of  the  course  and  To-me  sprang  across  it  barely  a  pace 
in  advance  of  his  powerful  antagonist. 

His  victory  had  scarcely  been  accomplished  when  several 
of  his  companions  rushed  forward,  and  raising  him  on  their 
shoulders,  bore  him  about  through  the  crowd  with  prolonged 
shouts  and  cries  of  exultation.  The  horses  were  then  un- 
fastened from  the  lance  to  which  they  had  been  tethered, 
and  the  lariats  were  handed  to  To-me.  His  companions  im- 
mediately hastened  away,  bearing  their  champion  upon  their 
shoulders  and  followed  by  a  great  crowd  of  people.  They 
passed  rapidly  through  the  encampments  of  several  of  the 
clans,  shouting  almost  incessantly,  and  uttering  loud  cries 
in  honor  of  the  brave  runner  To-me. 

"This  is  the  warrior,"  they  shouted,  "who  ran  a  race 
with  the  Ute,  and  who  has  won  fairly  the  beautiful  Sa-loo, 
the  running  horse  from  the  north/' 

After  some  time  had  been  spent  in  this  extravagant  dis- 
play, To-me  was  permitted  to  mount  his  horse  and  ride 
away  from  the  crowd.  He  proceeded  at  once  to  his  encamp- 
ment, taking  with  him  the  animal  he  had  won,  and  which 
was  now  rendered  doubly  precious  in  view  of  the  great 
honors  which  his  victory  had  brought. 

The  sun  was  already  low  in  the  heavens  when  To-me 
reached  his  encampment,  and  the  shouts  of  the  crowds  and 
the  tramping  of  busy  feet  as  the  people  hastened  from  one 
place  to  another  had  all  nearly  ceased.  The  herds  could  be 
seen  quietly  returning  from  the  pastures,  and  little  fires  were 
already  burning  here  and  there  throughout  the  several  en- 
campments. The  groups  of  card-players  had  long  since  dis- 
persed, and  the  little  red  flags  which  had  fluttered  defiance 
from  many  lance  staffs  in  the  morning  had  now  all  disap- 


NAH-^EE-TA. 

peared.  The  races  and  the  games  and  the  contests  had  all 
ceased  for  the  day. 

The  old  medicine  man  met  the  runner  with  warm  expres- 
sions of  kindness,  and,  sitting  down  on  a  robe,  bade  To-me 
take  a  seat  by  his  side  and  tell  him  what  notable  things  had 
occurred. 

" To-me  will  speak  to  Me-su-la,"  said  the  old  man,  "and 
tell  him  how  well  the  young  braves  can  shoot  and  how  well  they 
can  ride,  and  who  among  the  warriors  has  won  the  most 
praise." 

" To-me' s  heart  was  made  glad,"  he  replied,  "by  the 
honors  he  received.  He  has  won  the  running  horse,  the 
beautiful  Sa-loo,  which  the  TTtes  brought  from  the  north." 

"To-me  has  done  well,"  said  the  old  man.  "Let  him 
keep  his  running  horse  and  venture  him  no  more.  The  day 
will  soon  come  when  To-me' s  heart  will  be  glad  because  his 
horses  are  fleet.  Let  him  break  his  lance  now,  and  tear  his 
red  flags  in  pieces,  and  close  both  his  eyes  and  put  his  fingers 
in  his  ears,  until  the  Utes  and  all  the  people  have  gone." 

"The  words, of  the  medicine  man  are  all  good,"  replied 
the  runner. 

"  To-nie  will  speak  again  to  Me-su-la,"  said  the  old  man, 
' '  and  tell  him  the  name  of  the  warrior  who  was  borne  through 
the  encampments  upon  the  shoulders  of  his  comrades  to-day/' 

"To-me's  comrades  bore  him  upon  their  shoulders,"  he 
replied. 

"Bueno!"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  musingly.  "Then  the 
words  of  the  woman  were  true.  The  brave  To-me  has  won 
the  most  praise." 

"The  woman?"  asked  To-me,  hurriedly,  "why  came  she 
to  the  encampment  of  Me-su-la?" 

"Po-lone  is  in  trouble,"  the  old  man  replied,  "and  she 
came  to  Me-su-la  with  sad  words  in  her  mouth." 


XAII-NEE-TA.  123 

"  Will  she  obey  the  good  words  which  the  medicine  man 
has  spoken/'  asked  the  young  man  anxiously." 

"  Yea,  the  woman  will  obey/"  replied  Me-*su-la,  "but  she 
asks  that  medicine  may  once  more  be  made,  and  if  the  words 
in  the  mouth  of  the  medicine  man  are  the  same  as  before 
she  will  come  herself  to  the  ho-gan  of  To-me  and  give  back 
his  promise  and  the  girl  shall  go  to  his  lodge. 

"Nay!"  cried  the  impetuous  To-me,  springing  quickly 
to  his  feet.  "  The  words  of  the  woman  are  not  good.  The 
medicine  man  has  once  spoken.  He  should  not  speak 
again." 

"If  the  words  of  the  medicine  man  were  all  good,"  re- 
plied the  old  man,  "the  Great  Spirit  will  put  the  same 
words  again  in  his  mouth.  Let  the  warrior  have  patience." 

"Nay!  nay!"  cried  To-me.  "The  Great  Spirit  may 
grow  weary.  Let  Me-su-la  make  medicine  no  more/" 

"Me-su-la  has  promised,"  he  said,  "and  he  will  make 
medicine  once  more." 

"Me-ra!"  shouted  the  runner  with  great  violence,  as  he 
walked  excitedly  to  and  fro.  "  To-me  will  gather  together 
his  friends  and — — ." 

"Hist!"  cried  the  old  man  angrily.  " Loud  words  travel 
far  and  reach  many  ears.  To-me's  head  is  hot  now  because 
he  has  heard  words  of  praise  from  his  comrades  to-day. 
His  mouth  has  grown  large  quickly  because  he  has  won  a 
horse  from  the  TJte.  Let  To-me  look  upon  his  feet  that 
they  lead  him  not  into  trouble.  The  customs  of  the  na- 
tion are  good  every  one  and  they  must  all  be  obeyed." 

The  old  man  ceased  to  speak  and  looked  inquiringly  at 
To-me,  as  though  he  waited  a  reply. 

The  runner  continued  for  a  time  to  walk  to  and  fro,  but 
at  last  he  stopped  abruptly  and  raising  his  clinched  hand 
turned  quickly  towards  the  medicine  man.  His  face  bore  a 
grave,  resolute  expression  and  his  eyes  burned  fiercely. 


124 

"Hist!"  cried  the  old  man  again.  "Let  not  To-me 
speak  while  his  head  is  yet  hot.  His  words  cannot  be  wise 
until  his  head  has  grown  cool." 

"To-me  has  many  friends,"  he  said  defiantly,  scarcely 
waiting  until  the  old  man  had  finished,,"  and  they  will 
come ." 

"Nay,  nay,"  pleaded  the  old  man.  "Let  the  brave 
To-me  think  once  again  before  he  speaks  evil  words." 

"  To-me  has  no  time  to  think,"  he  replied.  "  He  will  act 
first  and  think  after."  And  turning  quickly  about  he 
walked  rapidly  away. 

"Let  To-me  look  well  to  his  feet,"  shouted  the  old  man 
after  him,  "that  they  lead  him  not  into  trouble." 

"To-me  had  not  gone  very  far  when  he  stopped  quite 
abruptly,  and  turning  about  once  more  approached  the 
medicine  man. 

"The  last  words  of  Me-su-la  did  not  all  reach  To-me' s 
ears,"  he  said,  "and  he  has  come  back  again  that  Me-su-la 
may  speak  them  once  more." 

"The  heart  of  Me-su-la  is  glad,"  said  the  old  man. 
"  To-me  went  away  like  a  jabbering  squaw.  He  has  come 
back  like  a  warrior.  When  To-me' s  head  is  hot,"  con- 
tinued the  oracle,  "he  should  turn  his  face  to  the  wind  and 
count  the  pebbles  in  the  sand.  A  hot  head  is  never  wise, 
and  swift  feet  are  foolish." 

"Me-ra!"  cried  the  hunter,  with  a  gesture  of  impatience. 
"  To-me  came  not  back  to  hear  new  words  in  the  mouth  of 
the  medicine  man. 

"  Me-su-la  has  new  words  in  his  mouth,"  replied  the  old 
man,  "that  To-me  will  be  glad  now  to  hear.  Let  the 
warrior  sit  down  on  the  robe  and  open  his  ears  that  Me-su-la 
may  speak  softly.  The  wind  cannot  keep  a  secret.  It 
carries  words  like  a  squaw." 


KAH-NEE-TA.  125 

To-me  stood  irresolutely  for  awhile  marking  figures  on  the 
ground  with  the  toe  of  his  moccasin.  At  last  he  slowly 
came  nearer.,  and  eventually  sat  down  on  the  robe. 

"  Has  the  medicine  man  many  words  in  his  mouth?"  he 
asked  hurriedly. 

"Nay,  Me-su-la  has  but  few  words  in  his  mouth/'  replied 
the  old  man,  "  and  they  will  soon  all  be  spoken.  Are  the 
ears  of  To-me  open?" 

"Let  the  medicine  man  speak." 

The  old  man  drew  nearer  to  To-me,  and,  after  looking 
cautiously  about,  began  to  speak  in  an  almost  inaudible  tone 
and  with  great  deliberation. 

•"To-morrow,"  he  said,  "when  the  sun  shines  on  the 
tops  of  the  lodges,  the  woman  will  break  up  her  encamp- 
ment and  ride  with  her  daughter  and  her  herd  for  the  ho-gan 
of  Me-su-la." 

"Nay!"  cried  To-me,  violently,  "the  woman  will  not 
ride  to  the  ho-gan  of  Me-su-la." 

"Hist!"  whispered  the  old  man.  "The  winds  are  made 
glad  when  To-me  is  angry.  They  laugh  when  they  hear  his 
strong  words." 

"To-me  will  listen,"  he  said  hurriedly.  "Let  the  medi- 
cine man  speak  again." 

"To-morrow  when  the  sun  shines  in  the  tops  of  the 
lodges,"  continued  the  old  man,  "the  woman  will  break  up 
her  encampment  and  ride  with  her  daughter  and  her  herd 
to  the  ho-gan  of  Me-su-la.  Then  after  medicine  has  been 
made,  she  will  ride  to  the  south  on  her  way  to  her  ho-gan 
on  the  bank  of  the  Puerco.  To-me  must  ride  before  her 
until  her  journey  is  done." 

"And  why  must  To-me  ride  before  the  woman  ?"  he  en- 
quired. 

"The  Apaches  might  meet  her  on  the  way,"  replied 
Me-su-la. 


126  KAII-^EE-TA. 

"  Apaches!"   cried  To-me,  eagerly.     "  Where  are  they? 

Who  has  seen  them  ?   Let  the  medicine  man  speak  quickly/' 

^"Hist!"  again  whispered  the  old  man.     "To-me   must 

cease  to  talk  to  the  winds,  or  Me-su-la  will  find  no  more 

words  in  his  mouth." 

The  runner  bowed  his  head  submissively  and  remained 
silent. 

"  A  peon  came  from  the  ho-gan  of  Me-su-la,"  continued 
the  old  man,  "while  To-me' s  companions  bore  him  on  their 
shoulders  through  the  encampments  to-day.  Some  horses 
have  been  stolen  from  the  herd  and  strange  moccasin  tracks 
have  been  found  in  the  valley  where  .the  herd  had  been 
pastured." 

To-me  sprang  quickly  to  his  feet  and  tightened  his  belt 
and  gathered  his  blanket  hurriedly  about  him. 

"  Where  does  To-me  go  now  ?"  asked  the  old  man  quietly. 

"Quick  to  the  head  chief,"  he  replied,  "'and  then  to  the 
ho-gan  of  Me-su-la.  To-me  will  ride  with  the  war  party 
that  goes  in  pursuit// 

"Let  To-me  turn  his  face  to  the  wind,"  said  the  old  man 
with  provoking  deliberation,  "  and  think  for  a  breath. 
What  if  the  horses  have  strayed  and  the  moccasin  tracks 
have  been  made  by  a  grizzly  monster  from  the  mountains  ? 
The  peon  is  not  a  warrior." 

A  long  silence  ensued  after  the  old  man  had  spoken, 
broken  only  by  the  hard  breathing  of  the  runner. 

"  The  words  of  the  medicine  man  are  vase,"  he  said  at 
length  in  a  subdued  manner.  "  The  words  of  the  medicine 
man  are  all  wise,"  he  repeated.  "  It  is  best  to  think  first." 

Then  dropping  his  blanket  upon  the  robe,  he  sat  down 
again  in  his  place. 

"To-me  will  hearken  to  the  words  of  Me-su-la,"  he  con- 
tinued after  a  brief  pause.  "Let  the  medicine  man  speak 
again." 


STAH-NEE-TA.  127 

The  old  man  made  no  reply,  but  calling  a  peon  to  ap- 
proach, he  ordered  that  a  horse  should  be  quickly  saddled 
and  brought  to  him.  The  peon  hastened  away  and  in.-  a 
short  time  returned  with  the  horse.  By  the  assistance  of 
the  young  warrior  the  old  man  mounted  the  animal  and 
seated  himself  in  the  saddle.  Then  turning  towards  To-me, 
he  leaned  forward  and  whispered  softly  in  his  ear. 

' '  Me-su-la  rides  to  the  encampment  of  the  head  chief. 
To-me  will  watch  the  fire  while  it  burns  until  he  rides  back 
again/' 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply  he  rode  slowly  away  towards 
the  mouth  of  the  canon,  followed  by  the  peon  011  foot. 

To-me  seated  himself  upon  the  robe,  and  waited  with  impa- 
tience for  the  return  of  his  friend. 

A  beautiful  autumn  day  had  just  closed.  A  gentle  invig- 
orating breeze,  scarcely  strong  enough  to  carry  a  dried  leaf 
from  the  mountain  to  the  plain,  had  prevailed  from  the 
early  morning. 

The  hazy  atmosphere,  common  to  the  great  plains  and  the 
valleys  of  this  elevated  region  at  this  season  of  the  year,  had 
partially  obscured  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun,  and  intercepted 
the  heat.  The  Great  Spirit  had  smiled  upon  his  children, 
and  given  them  this  evidence  of  his  care  and  protection. 

But  as  the  sun  had  descended  behind  the  great  ragged 
mountains  to  the  west  of  the  encampments,  the  Great  Spirit 
had  temporarily  withdrawn  his  protection,  and  the  gentle 
breeze  had  been  quickened  by  some  evil  agency  into  a  great 
rushing  wind,  which  now  swept  down  \ipon  tfye  plain  with 
great  violence,  burdened  with  the  moanings  of  the  disturbed 
spirits  that  made  their  abode  in  the  forest  on  the  side  of 
the  mountain.  Dark  clouds  from  the  council  fires  of  evil 
elfs  had  been  driven  up  from  the  bottomless  canons  beyond 
the  great  mountains,  and  pushed  over  the  intervening  rock- 


128  NAH-KEE-TA. 

covered  heights,  one  after  the  other,  until  now  the  whole 
heavens  were  covered,  and  the  fair  face  of  the  sky,  studded 
with  the  bright  fires  of  the  Great  Spirit,  were  hidden  entirely 
from  view. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  time,  the  wind  began  to  abate 
somewhat  of  its  violence,  and  at  last  died  entirely  away. 
An  oppressive  heaviness  in  the  air,  and  an  unnatural  still- 
ness immediately  succeeded.  The  black  clouds  ceased  their 
flight  and  hung  almost  motionless  above  the  encampments, 
burdened  now  with  the  rain  which  the  Great  Spirit  had  sent 
from  "the  great  waters,  in  which  the  sun  sank  to  sleep  at  the 
close  of  each  day. 

To-rne  raised  his  eyes  and  peered  anxiously  into  the  deep 
darkness  above  him.  The  thought  that  the  trail  of  his  thiev- 
ing enemies  would  be  obliterated  by  the  rain  which  was  threat- 
ened, and  their  pursuit  thereby  rendered  impossible,  served 
further  to  increase  his  impatience  and  anxiety. 

As  he  sat  looking  at  the  clouds,  a  single  drop  of  rain  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit  as  a  messenger  to  foretell  the  coming 
storm,  fell  upon  his  face  and  confirmed  his  worst  fears. 

But  almost  at  once  an  expression  of  great  resignation  came 
over  his  anxious,  uplifted  face. 

The  Great  Spirit  had  spoken  in  the  little  rain  drops  that 
had  fallen  upon  his  face,  and  he  had  accepted  unreservedly 
the  message  implied. 

"The  Great  Spirit  is  wise,"  he  said  thoughtfully,  and  all 
that  He  does  must  be  good.  He  is  kind  to  His  people.  He 
speaks  to  His  children  and  they  hearken  to  His  words." 

When  he  had  finished  his  invocation,  he  bowed  his  head  on 
his  breast  and  remained  for  some  time  in  silent  communion 
with  the  Being  he  worshipped. 

He  sprang  at  lasi;  to  his  feet  and  hastened  to  arrange  his 
robes  and  his  blankets  under  an  arch  made  of  sticks  and  of 


NAH-NEE-TA.  129 

brush  by  the  squaws  of  the  medicine  man.  When  he  had 
completed  his  work,  he  spread  a  great  robe  over  the  top  of 
the  arch  to  protect  him  from  the  rain  and  fastened  it  se- 
curely in  its  place. 

A  similar  structure  had  been  erected  and  carefully  covered 
by  the  squaws  for  the  use  of  their  master. 

The  old  man  now  made  his  appearance,  riding  slowly  into 
the  encampment,  followed  by  the  peon  on  foot.  He  was 
assisted  to  dismount  and  then  proceeded  at  once  to  his  bed. 
Stopping  for  an  instant  on  the  way,  he  turned  his  face 
towards  To-me,  who  stood  the  meanwhile  near  the  fire  wait- 
ing patiently  for  the  old  man  to  speak. 

"Me-su-la  is  tired, "  he  said,  in  a  low,  weary  tone.  "  He 
will  speak  the  words  in  his  mouth  when  the  sun  shines  again 
on  the  plain/'' 


X. 

A  bright,  beautiful  morning  dawned  upon  the  encamp- 
ments. The  clouds  had  all  passed  away  and  many  traces  of 
the  storm  had  already  disappeared. 

To-me  sprang  from  his  bed  at  the  first  dawn  of  light  and 
wandered  listlessly  about  the  encampment.  His  face  bore 
an  expression  of  composure  and  perfect  resignation  as  he 
stood  watching  for  the  first  rays  of  the  sun.  But  as  the 
light  slowly  increased  and  his  fears  became  more  fully  con- 
firmed, he  found  it  impossible  to  conceal  his  disappoint- 
ment. He  looked  out  upon  the  great,  broad  valley  before  him 
in  utter  despair.  ISTot  a  single  track  or  a  trail  of  the  many 
that  had  existed  on  the  previous  day,  could  now  be  seen. 
The  face  of  the  valley  had  been  ruthlessly  washed  during 
the  night  by  the  rain,  and  every  foot-mark  upon  it  had  been 
completely  destroyed. 

The  faith  of  the  young  warrior  in  the 'wisdom  of  the 
Great  Spirit  was  for  the  time  sadly  shaken,  and  he  was 
almost  upon  the  point  of  rebellion  against  his  previous  con- 
victions. 

"The  Great  Spirit  is  wise/'  he  murmured,  "and. all  that 
He  does  must  be  good.  But  why,"  he  continued  more 
earnestly,  "should  He  hide  the  vile  enemies  of  the  nation 
under  dark  clouds  and  wash  out  their  trails  with  the  rain?" 

"Yea,  yea,"  he  continued  after  a  brief  pause,  speaking 
rapidly  as  though  he  hastened  to  atone  for  the  doubt  ex- 
pressed by  his  words.  "The  Great  Spirit  must  be  wise,  for 
He  has  made  all  things,  and  they  are  all  very  good.  To-me 
has  but  little  wisdom  to  understand  what  the  Great  Spirit 
has  done  or  why  He  has  done  it." 

"  But  To-me  is  wise  a  little,"  he  added  after  another  brief 


NAH-NEE-TA.  131 

pause,,  speaking  this  time  more  slowly  and  with  a  somewhat 
injured  air,  "or  he  would  not  understand  that  the  work  of 
the  Great  Spirit  is  good.  Why  then  can  he  not  understand 
a  little  of  till  things  that  are  wise  ?" 

"The  young  savage  had  almost  reasoned  himself  into  the 
belief  that  his  own  created  faculties  could  exercise  super- 
natural powers,  and  that  he  was  now  either  arbitrarily  de- 
prived of  this  advantage,  or  that  the  acts  of  the  Supreme 
Being  were  unwise.  His  own  strong,  untamed  and  undisci- 
plined will  had  intervened  to  awaken  these  doubts  and  de- 
stroy his  faith  and  his  peace.  He  had  interpreted  the  fall- 
ing of  the  drop  of  rain  on  his  face,  as  he  had  impatiently 
looked  into  the  sky  on  the  evening  before,  as  a  personal 
message  sent  direct  from  the  hand  of  the  Great  Spirit,  fore- 
telling the  inevitable  rain  and  demanding  from  him  a  patient 
submission. 

Even  this  small  recognition  had  filled  his  heart  with  great 
gratitude  and  wonder  and  had  awakened  a  faith  that  had 
given  him  great- comfort  and  peace  at  the  time.  The  Great 
Spirit  had  spoken  as  literally  and  impressively  as  though  a 
voice  from  the  clouds  had  reached  him  and  said:  "  The 
Great  Spirit  speaks.  He  will  do  what  is  best.  To-me  must 
cease  to  be  impatient.  The  Great  Spirit  is  displeased  with 
those  who  murmur  against  Him." 

But  now  that  the  rain  had  indeed  come  and  its  immediate 
effects  were  disastrous  to  his  hopes,  so  far  as  he  could  see, 
his  half  formed  faith  and  imperfect  submission  gave  him 
but  little  assistance  to  regard  it  as  all  for  the  best. 

He  walked  away  mechanically  farther  and  farther  from 
the  encampment,  repelled  unconsciously  by  the  noise  of  the 
squaws  and  the  herds.  At  last  his  progress  was  suddenly 
arrested  by  the  thought  that  one  hope  which  he  had  hitherto 
entirely  overlooked,  yet  remained.  It  was  barely  possible 


132  ]STAH-NEE-TA. 

that  the  rain  had  not  fallen  in  the  mountains  or  in  the 
valleys  beyond,  and  that  the  trail  of  the  thieving  Apaches 
or  the  hated  Mexicans,  whichever  they  were,  still  existed  and 
would  enable  pursuit. 

He  stopped  short  to  think. 

The  morning  air  had  been  cold  and  he  had  gathered  his 
blanket  close  about  him  when  he  left  the  encampment.  He 
had  failed  to  notice  until  now  that  it  had  become  somewhat 
oppressive,  and  he  hastened  at  once  to  unloosen  its  folds 
and  throw  it  aside.  As  he  did  so,  an  enormous  tarantula 
detached  itself  from  the  blanket  and  fell  to  the  ground. 

To-me  sprang  back  from  the  repulsive  creature  in  aif right, 
and  watched  it  with  horror  as  it  slowly  and  defiantly  walked 
away.  Its  spider  shaped  body  was  covered  with  short, 
straggling,  black  hairs  that  stood  up  on  end,  and  only  par- 
tially concealed  its  snaky  looking  skin.  Its  legs  also  were 
covered  with  short,  black  hairs,  but  of  apparently  much 
softer  texture  than  those  on  its  body,  and  in  much  greater 
abundance.  The  hideous  creature  was  at  least  two  inches 
in  length  and  fully  half  that  measure  in  diameter.  It 
moved  slowly  and  laboriously  along,  dragging  its  great,  baggy 
legs  as  though  they  were  heavy  and  offered  an  impediment 
to  its  progress. 

These  venomous  animals  were  seldom  seen  in  the  country 
inhabited  by  the  Navajos,  and  the  people  therefore  knew 
but  little  about  them.  This  fact  however  had  not  in  the 
least  tended  to  limit  common  report.  In  this,  as  in  most 
other  cases  where  imperfect  knowledge  existed,  an  oppor- 
tunity was  presented  to  indulge  in  the  marvelous. 

In  the  course  of  time,  therefore,  the  most  wonderful  ac- 
counts of  these  creatures  became  common  and  obtained  gen- 
eral credence.  They  were  supposed  to  be  able  to  spring  to 
immense  distances  when  enraged,  and  were  seldom  or  never 


N AHXNTEE-TA .  133 

killed  before  they  had  succeeded  in  inflicting  mortal  wounds 
with  their  poisonous  fangs  upon, the  persons  of  those  who 
encountered  thorn.  They  were  naturally  ferocious,  and  the 
presence  of  a  human  being  aroused  them  at  once  to  the 
most  intense  excitement  and  extraordinary  activity. 

The  medicine  men  shook  their  heads  and  remained  silent 
when  the  creature  was  named  in  their  presence.  They  had 
no  knowledge  of  any  antidote  for  the  dreaded  poison  from 
their  fangs,  and  all  their  charms  and  incantations  were 
popularly  believed  to  be  powerless  against  its  deadly  effects. 
They  shook  their  heads  mysteriously  and  covered  their  faces 
with  their  hands.  The  evil  spirits  had  taken  full  possession 
of  the  venomous  creatures,  and  the  wise  medicine  men  held 
their  peace  and  kept  their  own  council. 

Far  away  to  the  south,  many  days  travel  over  mountains 
and  plains,  these  animals  were  frequently  found.  A  few 
brave  hunters  and  warriors  of  the  nation  had  at  one  time  or 
another  penetrated  into  this  distant  country,  and  after  en- 
countering almost  incredible  dangers  and  privations,  had 
eventually  returned  to  their  people  after  long  periods  of 
absence,  burdened  with  most  wonderful  accounts  of  what 
they  had  seen.  While  these  intrepid  hunters  and  warriors 
remained  in  this  far  away  country,  their  lives  had  been  con- 
stantly endangered  by  the  hideous  creatures,  and  would 
often  have  been  sacrificed  but  for  the-  virtue  of  the  charms 
that  they  wore  and  their  fleetness  of  foot.  At  night  they 
had  often  abandoned  their  encampments  when  the  dreaded 
creatures  were  found  lurking  near,  and  during  the  day  had 
often  changed  the  course  of  their  march  to  avoid  them. 

They  were  never  seen  after  the  first  frosts  had  come  until 
the  warm  days  of  summer  returned.  Early  in  the  autumn 
each  one  of  the  creatures  constructed  a  house  for  its  own 
occupation  during  the  wi.uer,  and  when  the  frosts  at  last 


134  NAH-XEE-TA. 

came  it  speedily  closed  itself  in  and  fell  into  a  sleep  that 
lasted  until  the  hot  summer  sun  awoke  it  again. 

These  winter  houses  were  each  built  in  a  little  excavation 
sunk  in  the  earth  deep  enough  to  afford  temporary  protec- 
tion and  concealment  for  the  structure.  As  the  season  ad- 
vanced and  the  fall  winds  began  to  sweep  over  the  plains, 
they  were  speedily  covered  by  the  drifting  sand  and  at  last 
concealed  entirely  from  view. 

The  walls  of  the  houses  were  constructed  of  mud  and 
vegetable  fiber  and  erected  in  a  circular  form.  A  small 
opening  was  left  at  the  top  of  each  house  to  admit  the  body 
of  the  builder.  This  opening  was  covered  by  a  door  con- 
structed from  a  flexible,  gelatinous  mass,,  secreted  by  the 
creature  and  strengthened  by  hairs  and  vegetable  fiber,,  skill- 
fully interwoven.  It  lay  snugly  on  top  of  the  house,,  com- 
pletely covering  the  opening  and  apparently  closing  all 
means  of  entrance  or  exit.  It  was  fastened,  however,  on  only 
one  side,  where  it  was  joined  to  the  wall  by  a  strong,  flexible 
band  that  served  as  a  hinge. 

When  all  the  exterior  work  was  completed,  the  creature 
hastened  to  finish  the  interior.  With  remarkable  industry 
it  gathered  together  day  after  day  the  fur  and  fine  hairs 
which  the  conys  and  the  coyotes  had  shed  against  the  bushes 
of  mesquit  and  the  more  common  bunches  of  cactus,  to  line 
the  interior. 

It  finally  completed  its  work,  and  when  its  instinct  taught 
it  that  the  time  had  arrived  to  begin  its  long  winter  sleep, 
it  retired  into  its  luxurious  abode  and  sealed  the  door  fast  in 
its  place. 

The  creature  which  had  fallen  from  the  blanket  of  the 
runner  had  strayed  far  from  the  place  of  its  nativity.  Possibly 
it  had  been  caught  in  one  of  the  fierce  whirlwinds  that  occasion- 
ally sweep  over  its  native  plains  and  had  been  carried  far  away 


NAH-NEE-TA.  135 

* 

into  the  country  of  the  Navajos,  where  it  had  since  wan- 
dered about  in  vain  search  for  its  well-known  haunts. 

"Me-ra!"  cried  the  young  man  joyfully,  so  soon  as  he 
had  well  recovered  from  the  surprise  which  the  creature  had 
given  him.  "Me-ra!  The  evil  spirit  has  now  gone  away  and 
To-me  is  free  once  again.  He  whispered  evil  things  in  the 
ears  of  To-me  and  made  his  heart  sore." 

He  ceased  to  speak  almost  abruptly,,  and  for  a  moment 
stood  looking  intently  at  the  animal.  Then  the  joyful  ex- 
pression that  had  brightened  his  face  died  suddenly  away, 
and  a  look  of  great  determination  took  its  place. 

"He  must  die  now/7  he  said  resolutely,  "even  though 
To-me  must  die  also." 

The  young  man,  with  his  usual  impetuosity,  had  deter- 
mined upon  a  most  desperate  and  hopeless  attempt.  He  had 
been  taught  from  his  infancy  to  believe  in  the  existence  of 
evil  things,  possessing  supernatural  powers,  that  could  be 
employed  to  the  injury  of  human  beings,  or  to  influence 
them  to  their  hurt.  In  the  creature  before  him,  he  recog- 
nized one  of  the  most  dreaded  of  all  the  malignant  forms, 
in  which  these  evil  things  presented  themselves.  It  was  this 
hideous  creature,  doubtless,  that  had  tempted  him  to  rebel 
against  the  Great  Spirit  and  to  murmur  at  his  good  and  wise 
acts.  It  was  better,  he  reasoned,  that  he  should  now  lose 
his  life  and  destroy  the  evil  thing,  than  that  it  should  be 
permitted  to  live  to  deceive  him  again,  and  possibly  work 
other  evil  in  the  nation. 

Impelled  by  this  desperate  purpose,  he  hastily  drew  an 
arrow  from  his  quiver,  and,  fixing  it  to  the  string  of  his  bow, 
sent  it  with  great  force  at  the  creature.  The  arrow  struck 
on  the  earth  directly  beneath  it,  and  threw  it  violently  into 
the  air.  It  fell  upon  its  feet  and  hastened  away  more  rapidly 
than  before.  The  young  man  instantly  fixed  another  arrow 


136  JSTAH-NEE-TA. 

upon  the  'string  of  his  bow,  and  with  his  blanket  wrapped 
in  a  great  fold  about  his  arm,,  to  be  used  as  a  shield  in  the 
final  struggle  with  the  creature,  hastened  on  after  it. 

He  had  unconsciously  taken  this  useless  precaution,  against 
a  result  which  he  regarded  as  inevitable.  He  anticipated  that 
the  creature  would  be  able  to  inflict  a  mortal  wound  upon 
him  in  some  way,  he  knew  not  how,  before  he  could  possibly 
hope  to  destroy  it,  or  might  even  assume  some  other  form  of 
dreadful  proportions  and  power,  to  crush  him  to  the  earth 
and  leave  him  to  die  upon  the  plain. 

He  rapidly  drew  near  to  the  animal,  and  at  last  came  so 
close  that  it  stopped  and  turned  quickly  towards  him  to  meet 
his  attack.     He  instantly  sank  down  on  his  knees  and  dis- 
charged the  arrow  with  the  utmost  force  he  could  command. 
Again  the  weapon  struck  on  the  ground  directly  under  the 
creature,  and  threw  it  with  great  violence  into  the  air.    This 
time,  however,  the  arrow  had  struck  upon  firmer  ground 
than  before,  and  its  recoil  was  much  more  severe.     The  ani- 
mal fell  to  the  ground  sorely  wounded.    It  made  several  vain 
efforts  to  rise  on  its  feet,  and  struggled  desperately  with  its 
wound.     In  a  brief  time  its  struggles  ceased  altogether,  and 
before  its  intrepid  pursuer  could  again  discharge  an  arrow, 
its  lifeless  form  lay  stretched  out  before  him  upon  the  ground. 
"Me-ra!"  he  cried  exultingly.    "  The  evil  thing  is  dead/' 
Then,  raising  his  eyes  towards  the  morning  sun,  he  con- 
tinued in  a  low,  subdued  voice. 

"  The  Great  Spirit  is  good.  He  made  To-me's  arm  strong 
and  guided  the  arrow  that  wounded  the  hated  thing.  To-me's 
heart  is  made  glad,  and  his  thoughts  are  all  good." 

When  he  had  ceased  his  devotions,  he  stooped  down  where 
the  dead  creature  lay,  and  thrust  the  sharp  barb  of  an  arrow 
through  its  body.     Then,  raising  it  up  cautiously,  he  has- 
tened towards  the  encampment  of  the  medicine  man,  carry- 
n  g  it  Idcu  him. 


A.  137 

"What  has  To-me  on  the  barb  of  his  arrow?"  cried  the 
old  man,  excitedly,  as  the  warrior  approached  him. 

"  Does  not  the  medicine  man  know?"  asked  To-me  calmly, 
as  he  held  out  the  arrow  with  the  creature  impaled  upon  it. 

The  old  man  leaned  forward  on  his  robe  and  shaded  his 
eyes  with  his  hand,  and  looked  intently  for  a  moment  at  the 
creature. 

"  Me-ra!"  he  shouted.  "  Take  it  away.  Quick!"  he  added 
beseechingly,,  and  with  hands  outstretched.  "  To-me  hears 
the  words  of  the  medicine  man.  Quick!"  he  shouted  as  he 
hid  his  face  in  his  hands.  "  Take  the  evil  thing  away,  that 
Me-su-la  may  see  it  no  more." 

The  young  warrior  instantly  threw  the  creature  from  his 
arrow  upon  the  ground,  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
terrified  medicine  man,  and  then,  turning  towards  him  said 
quietly, 

"  The  creature  is  dead.    Why  is  the  medicine  man  afraid?" 

"The  Great  Spirit  has  gone  away,"  he  replied  with  great 
agitation,  "and  the  evil  spirits  have  come  to  do  evil  work. 
Good  things  and  evil  cannot  remain  in  the  same  place  to- 
gether. When  the  evil  spirits  come,  Me-su-la  knows  that 
the  Great -Spirit  has  gone  far  away." 

"  But  what  has  To-me  done?"  'he  added  sternly,  after  a 
short  pause,  during  which  he  regarded  the  young  man  atten- 
tively. "Did  he  talk  with  the  evil  thing?" 

"\N~ay,  nay,"  cried  the  runner  indignantly,  "the  creature 
hid  in  the  folds  of  To-me' s  blanket  while  he  slept,  and  when 
it  had  whispered  evil  things  in  his  ears,  it  fled  from  him. 
The  Great  Spirit  came  then  after  it  had  gone,  and  made 
To-me' s  heart  brave  and  his  right  arm  strong,  and  he  fol- 
lowed after  the  evil  thing  and  killed  it  when  it  turned  upon 
him.  Has  To-me  done  wrong  ?" 

"To-me  is  brave,  and  he  has  done  well,"  answered  the 
medicine  man,  "and  the  heart  of  Me-su-la  is  glad.  But 


138  XA1T-NEE-TA. 

the  evil  thing  which  To-me  has  killed  was  not  strong.  If  it 
had  been  strong  To-me  would  first  have  been  killed,  and 
the  heart  of  Me-sn-la  would  be  sad." 

The  old  man  paused  and  looked  anxiously  about  him. 

"Hist!"  he  said  at  length,  speaking  almost  in  a  whisper. 
"Me-su-la  must  hasten  to  his  ho-gan.  Other  spirits,  more 
dreadful  and  much  stronger,  may  come  to  do  evil  things. 
The  Great  Spirit  is  angry  with  his  people  and  has  taken 
himself  far  away." 

Then  hurriedly  calling  his  squaws  and  his  peons  about 
him,  he  bade  them  hasten  to  drive  back  the  herd  from  the 
pasture  and  saddle  the  horses  and  fasten  the  packs  with  all 
possible  speed.  So  soon  as  this  was  accomplished  and  his 
people  were  mounted,  he  directed  the  caravan  to  move 
quickly  forward  across  the  great  plain  towards  the  moun- 
tain in  which  he  had  built  his  ho-gaii. 

" Shall  To-me  ride  with  the  medicino  man?"  asked 
the  warrior.  e(  The  sun  will  soon  shine  in  the  tops  of  the 
lodges,  and  the  herd  must  not  stop  on  the  way." 

"Nay,"  replied  the  old  man,  "To-me  will  ride  with  the 
young  braves  which  the  head  chief  will  send.  He  will  soon 
pass  the  herd  of  Me-su-la  with  his  warriors  011  his  way  to 
the  mountains.  To-me  can  be  a  great  chief  if  lie  will — 
when  he  is  older.  Let  him  be  wise." 

When  the  old  man  ceased  to  speak,  he  was  assisted  at 
once  to  mount  on  his  horse  and  immediately  set  out,  follow- 
ing after  his  people. 

To-me  stood  for  some  time  in  the  place  where  the  medi- 
cine man  had  left  him,  watching  the  caravan  as  it  made  its 
way  laboriously  across  the  great  plain.  At  last  he  turned 
abruptly  aside  and  walked  quickly  to  the  place  where  his 
horses  were  tethered,  and  mounting  directly  rode  away 
towards  the  encampments. 


XAH-XJOE-TA.  139 

"The  medicine  man  is  growing  old,"  he  murmured  im- 
patiently, "  and  is  troubled  with  fears.  He  trembles  when 
danger  is  near,  and  hastens  to  hide,  himself  in  his  ho-gan." 

The  clattering  of  horses  feet  awakened  him  suddenly  from 
his  reverie,  and  looking  up  he  discovered  several  young  war- 
riors galloping  rapidly  towards  him.  When  they  came  near, 
they  reined  in  their  horses,,  and  drew  up  around  him  in  a 
group. 

"  And  where  rides  the  brave  0-see-to  with  his  comrades 
to-day?"  inquired  To-me,  addressing  a  swarthy  young  sav- 
age among  them. 

"  Wherever  the  brave  To-me  shall  lead,"  he  replied.  ( (  The 
horses  are  fresh,  and  the  young  men  are  ready. " 

"The  heart  of  To-me  is  made  glad/'  he  replied.  "But 
why  come  0-see-to  and  his  comrades  to  ride  with  To-me?" 

"0-see-to  knows  not,5'  he  replied.  "The  head  chief 
has  sent  the  warriors  to  ride  with  To-me.  They  can  tell 
why  they  were  sent  when  the}'  ride  back  to  their  ho-gans 
again/' 

"  0-see-to  and  his  comrades  are  brave/''  said  To-me,  "and 
if  the  foot-marks  that  the  peon  has  found  in  the  pasture 
grounds  of  Me-su-la  have  been  made  by  the  Apaches  or  the 
Mexicans,  the  -young  men  will  have  many  words  in  their 
mouths  when  they  ride  back  to  their  lodges  again." 

This  was  the  first  intimation  that  the  young  warriors  had 
received  of  the  purpose  for  which  they  had  been  sent  to  re- 
port to  To-me.  Meager  as  the  information  now  given  them 
was,  it  seemed  entirely  sufficient  to  gratify  their  curiosity, 
if  indeed  they  had  any  at  all.  At  least,  not  a  single  ques- 
tion was  asked,  and  the  little  party  rode  away  presently  in 
silence,  following  the  trail  made  a  short  time  before  by  the 
caravan  of  the  medicine  man. 

Bach  warrior  of  their  party  led  a  spare  horse  behind  him, 
laden  with  blankets  and  food.  They  rode  along  one  after 


140  XAH-XEE-TA. 

the  other,  each  followed  directly  by  his  own  led  horse.  To 
the  distant  observer  they  presented  a  most  singular  appear- 
ance as  they  moved  slowly  along  across  the  great  plain,  fol- 
lowing the  Y,  hidings  of  the  new  made  trail,  presenting  no 
break  whatever  in  the  long  line  made  by  their  horses.  Mov- 
ng  on  thus,  the  picture  was  almost  complete  of  some  mon- 
istrous  creature  crawling  steadily  forward  in  pursuit  of  the 
less  orderly  party  of  the  medicine  man. 

To-me  cast  his  eyes  on  the  ground  and  rode  on  in  silence. 
He  felt  himself  greatly  aggrieved  as  he  recalled  the  strange 
questions  which  the  medicine  man  had  asked  him  concern- 
ing the  evil  thing  he  had  killed.  Even  the  peculiar  conduct 
of  the  old  man  had  left  an  impression  upon  his  mind  that 
it  bore  a  rebuke  in  some  way,  he  could  not  well  understand 
how. 

The  more  he  thought  of  it  the  more  indignant  he  became. 
There  was  no  reasonable  doubt  left  now  in  his  mind,  that 
the  medicine  man  had  thus  purposely  sought  to  change  the 
friendly  relations  that  existed  between  them,  in  order  that 
he  might  be  able  to  serve  the  present  purpose  of  the  woman, 
and  save  himself,  thereafter,  from  any  further  importunities. 
Settling  down  finally  upon  this  conviction,  he  determined  to 
ride  clear  of  the  caravan,  and  avoid  a  meeting  that  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  painful  to  himself.  Turning  aside, 
therefore,  from  the  trail  he  rode  away  to  the  right,  in  the 
direction  of  a  prominent  spur  in  the  great  mountain  range 
that  lay  before  him  upon  the  Eastern  border  of  the  plain. 

As  the  party  approached  near  the  broad  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, it  became  involved  in  the  foot  hills  and  breaks  that 
intervened  between  the  mountain  and  the  plain.  Many  of 
these  were  found  entirely  impracticable  for  the  animals, 
and  much  time  was  lost  in  making  necessary  changes  in 
direction.  The  party  at  length  reached  the  last  foot  hill 
before  it,  and  slowly  ascended  to  its  summit. 


XAH-NEE-TA.  141 

.Between  the  mountain  and  the  place  where  the  warriors 
now  stood,  a  deep  gorge  had  been  washed  through  the  rock, 
b}r  the  torrents  of  waters  that  for  ages  had  swept  down  from 
the  mountain  during  the  yearly  season  of  rain.  The  rocky 
face  of  the  gorge  seemed  almost  perpendicular,  and  presented 
an  apparently  impassable  barrier  to  all  further  progress  in 
the  desired  direction.  The  horses  drew  back  in  affright  as 
they  came  successively'  to  the  brink,  aad  turned  quickly 
aside  or  threw  themselves  back  from  the  chasm. 

To-me  sprang  at  once  to  the  ground,  and  leading  one  of 
his  horses  as  near  as  he  could  to  the  edge  of  the  chasm; 
forced  the  animal  over.  So  soon  as  the  terrified  beast  found 
its  fall  was  inevitable,  it  threw  out  its  feet,  and  bracing 
itself  backward,  slid  safely  to  the  bottom,  a  distance  of  at 
least  thirty  feet.  One  after  the  other  the  horses  were  then 
brought  to  the  brink  and  forced  over,  until  the  last  one  had 
gone  down.  When  this  had  been  accomplished,  To-me  and 
his  companions  slid  quickly  to  the  bottom  and  once  more 
continued  their  journey. 

The  side  of  the  mountain  at  the  place  which  the  party 
had  reached  was  precipitous  and  entirely  impracticable  for 
the  animals.  Proceeding,  therefore,  along  the  bottom  of 
the  chasm  it  found  a  comparatively  easy  ascent  for  a  con- 
siderable distance,  and  at  last  came  out  almost  imperceptibly 
upon  the  rough,  weather  worn  side  of  the  mountain,  more 
than  half  way  up  to  its  forest  covered  summit.  From  this 
point  the  ascent  was  easily  accomplished,  and  the  party  soon 
reached  the  broad,  level  mesa  that  crowned  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  Stopping  here,  under  the  wide  spreading 
branches  of  a  great  juniper  tree,  the  weary  horses  were  per- 
mitted to  rest. 

After  a  brief  delay  had  been  made  for  this  purpose,  the 
warriors  a<?ain  mounted  their  horses  and  once  more  set  out. 


142  NAH-XEE-TA. 

To-me  led  the  way,  following  close  along  the  edge  of  tin* 
mesa.,  until  he  emerged  from  the  forest  upon  the  rock- 
covered  point  towards  which  he  had  ridden  after  abandon- 
ing the  trail  of  the  medicine  man.  From  this  point  the 
.great  valley  lay  revealed  to  the  gaze  of  the  young  warriors. 
They  involuntarily  reined  in  their  horses,  and  sat  silently 
gazing  down  upon  the  vast  plain  that  lay  at  their  feet. 
Away  to  the  North  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,,  and  far 
away  in  the  dim  distance  to  the  South,  not  an  object  inter- 
vened to  intercept  the  almost  limitless  view.  Occasionally 
the  great  mountain  ranges  that  bordered  the  plain  on  the 
East  and  the  West,  sent  out  ragged  spurs  and  broken  foot 
hills  far  into  the  valley.  But  these  offered  no  obstacle  to 
a  full  view  of  the  grand  scene  which  presented  itself  from 
the  top  of  the  mountain. 

The  sun  had  just  disappeared  behind  the  summit  of  the 
mountains  to  the  West  of  the  plain,  and  dark  shadows  had 
gathered  at  their  base.  The  encampments  at  the  mouth  of 
the  canon  were  already  completely  ^concealed  by  the  dark- 
ness. 

"Me-ra!"  shouted  one  of  the  warriors,  pointing  quickly 
with  his  finger  at  some  moving  objects  upon  the  plain, 
"another  herd  follows  the  great  trail  to  the  mountain." 

''The  warrior  sees  the  herd  of  Me-su-la  the  medicine 
man/'  said  one.of  his  companions. 

"Nay,"  replied  the  other.  "The  herd  of  the  medicine 
man  is  already  far  up  on  the  mountain.  The  herd  on  the 
plain  is  not  the  herd  of  Me-su-la." 

"The  warrior  sees  the  herd  of  the  woman,  Po-lone/' 
said  0-see-to  slowly,  as  he  gazed  fixedly  at  the  object. 

"Me-ra!"  cried  To-me  abruptly.  "The  sun  sinks  low 
behind  the  mountains.  The  warriors  must  ride." 

Then  hastily  turning  his  horse,  he  rode  quickly  away, 
wed  at  once  by  his  companions. 


XI. 

The  war  party  had  not  ridden  far  from  the  rock-covered 
point  where  it  had  halted  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
when  it  suddenly  emerged  from  the  forest  and  made  its 
way  down  into  a  little  grass  covered  valley,  which  To-me 
presently  recognized  as  a  part  of  the  extensive  pasture 
grounds  over  which  the  great  herds  of  the  medicine  man 
ranged.  When,  he  had  well  assured  himself  that  this  was 
the  case,  he  drew  out  of  the  valley  and  proceeded  parallel 
with  it,  under  cover  of  the  forest  that  bordered  its  side. 
But  the  rough,  broken  character  of  the  ground  near  the 
forest  soon  drove  him  down  into  the  valley  again,  and 
compelled  him  to  follow  its  course.  As  the  party  proceeded, 
the  valley  became  gradually  wider,  and  the  forest  that 
bounded  it  on  the  East  and  the  West  drew  slowly  away  and 
at  last  entirely  disappeared  in  the  gathering  darkness. 

A  well-beaten  trail  extended  down  the  valley,  and  To-me 
now  determined  to  find  it.  He  had  followed  it  a  few  days 
before  with  the  medicine  man  on  his  way  back  from  the 
South,  and  he  believed  it  was  not  far  away.  He  permitted 
his  horse  to  move  slowly  forward  expecting  each  moment  to 
find  it.  He  grew  impatient  at  last  at  the  delay  thus  occa- 
sioned, and  leaving  his  companions,  rode»  in  great  haste 
back  and  forth  in  search  of  the  trail.  Failing  to  find  it  as 
quickly  as  he  expected,  he  cast  the  reins  from  his  hand  upon 
the  neck  of  his  horse,  and  permitted  him  to  choose  his  own 
way  unrestrained.  The  intelligent  animal,  apparently  con- 
scious of  the  wishes  of  his  master,  turned  quickly  aside  and 
soon  fell  into  the  trail. 

To-me  now  confidently  pushed  forward  as  rapidly  as  the 
darkness  would  permit,  with  scarcely  a  further  thought  of 

143 


144  XAH-^EE-TA. 

his  course.  Occasionally  he  cast  his  eyes  to  the  heavens  to 
assure  himself  by  the  position  of  the  stars,  that  the  general 
direction  of  the  march  to  the  Southward  was  maintained, 
and  then  relapsed  into  seeming  indifference  again. 

The  warriors  followed  their  leader  in  silence,  one  after  the 
other,  along  the  narrow,  well-beaten  path.  Occasionally  a 
startled  rabbit  sprang  from  its  cover  and  sped  swiftly  away, 
rustling  among  the  dry  grass  as  it  went;  or  a  wandering 
coyote  sprang  aside  from  the  trail  and  howled  dismally 
after  them  until  they  had  gone  out  of  sight.  All  else,  save 
the  light  patter  of  the  horses]  feet  on  the  trail,  was  silent  as 
the  tomb. 

Several  hours  had  elapsed  since  the  party  had  ridden 
down  into  the  valley,  and  many  long  miles  lay  behind  it. 
To-me  had  recovered  from  his  seeming  indifference  and  now 
peered  anxiously  into  the  darkness,  endeavoring  if  possible, 
to  discover  some  familiar  object  about  him. 

Suddenly  he  reined  in  his  horse  sharply  and  gazed  fixedly 
before  him  in  utter  amazement.  A  great  broken  elevation 
lay  in  his  path, apparently  closing  his  further  advance.  His  eyes 
burned  like  diamonds  in  the  darkness  while  he  gazed.  In 
perfect  astonishment  he  sat  in  his  place  irresolute  and 
silent. 

Could  it  be  possible,  he  wondered,  that  he  had  found  a 
strange  trail  and  been  led  into  some  unknown  place.  No, 
he  reasoned,  that  was  utterly  impossible.  Rather  the  moun- 
tain had  come  from  its  place  and  sat  down  before  him. 
Possibly  evil  spirits  were  pursuing  him  to  gratify  some 
malevolence  they  bore  him,  and  had  intervened  this  barrier 
to  annoy  and  delay  him.  Certainly  he  could  not  be  de- 
ceived. ISTo  mountain  range  had  ever  existed  before  where  this 
one  now  lay  unmistakably  before  him,  its  ragged  face  plainly 
outlined  against  the  bright  sky. 


KA.H-XEE-TA.  145 

But,  after  all,  lie  reasoned  with  himself,  it  could  not  be 
possible  that  the  evil  spirits  had  placed  the  mountain  before 
him.  Such  marvelous  work  could  be  effected  by  the  Great 
Spirit  alone.  Evil  spirits  might  bring  disease,  and  even 
death  to  poor  mortals,  and  do  many  things  that  were  evil, 
but  they  were  powerless  to  create  mountains  or  move  them. 

"N~ay,  nay,"  he  murmured.  "  The  Great  Spirit  has 
moved  the  mountain  himself.  He  has  come  again  to  speak 
to  To-me." 

His  horse  moved  impatiently  about  and  pressed  heavily 
upon  the  rawhide  bit  of  his  bridle  to  free  his  head  from  the 
hard  hand  of  his  master.  Absorbed  in  his  changing  thoughts 
the  young  man  unconsciously  dropped  the  reins  from  his 
hand,  and  the  horse  instantly  turned  to  the  left  and  has- 
tened forward. 

"  Me-ra  ! "  murmured  his  rider,  as  he  seized  the  reins 
and  restrained  the  animal  forcibly.  "  The  horse  has  turned 
his  head  to  the  east  and  moves  forward  as  though  a  herd 
was  before  him/' 

"  Hist !  "  cried  a  warrior. 

To-rne  stopped  instantly,  and  leaning  forward  on  the 
neck  of  his  horse,  listened  breathlessly. 

"  Hist  I"  cried  the  warrior  again. 

"  Bah  !  "  said  To-me,  after  a  short  pause.  "  The  ho-gan 
of  the  medicine  man  stands  among  the  trees,  not  two  flights 
of  an  arrow  away.  The  warrior  has  heard  the  tramping  of 
sheep  in  the  corral.'" 

Reining  his  horse  sharply  about,  he  rode  back  to  the 
trail  and  approached  the  elevation  again. 

As  he  drew  nearer  than  before  the  rugged  outlines  he 
had  previously  seen  melted  gradually  away  until  they  ceased 
altogether  to  exist. 

With  a  great  cry  of  relief  the  young  warrior  hastened  for- 
ward, thankful  that  the  wav  was  not  closed  as  he  feared, 


146  NAH-XEK-TA. 

but  excessively  annoyed  that  he  had  permitted  himself  to  be 
deceived  by  a  common  night  mirage.  Dealing  his  faithful 
horse  a  violent  blow,  by  way  of  punishment  for  the  part  the 
animal  had  taken  in  the  deception,  he  set  out  at  a  rapid 
pace  southward,  closely  followed  by  his  companions . 

After  an  hour's  hard  riding,  he  turned  his  horse  to  the 
left  and  rode  across  the  valley  to  the  forest  that  lay  like  a 
dark  cloud  on  its  border.  Halting  here  under  a  great  pinon 
tree,  the  warriors  quickly  dismounted  at  a  signal  from  their 
leader,  and  after  removing  the  packs  and  saddles  from  their 
horses  they  picketed  the  animals  securely  in  the  rich  grama 
grass  that  grew  luxuriantly  about  them. 

One  of  the  warriors  immediately  proceeded  to  a  consider- 
able distance  from  the  party  and  began  to  pace  back  and 
forth  along  the  edge  of  the  forest,  watching  as  well  as  he 
was  able  in  the  darkness  and  listening  attentively  the 
meanwhile  for  any  indications  of  danger. 

Another  warrior  quickly  gathered  some  dry  cedar  bark, 
and  pulverizing  it  almost  to  a  powder,  laid  it  on  the  ground 
and  spread  over  it  a  quantity  of  resinous  matter  that  he  had 
detached  from  the  body  of  the  tree  under  which  the  party 
had  halted. 

When  he  had  completed  these  preparations  he  took  a 
small  stone  from  his  pouch  and  holding  it  near  the  dry  ten- 
der, struck  it  violently  |with.  ^the  blade  of  his  knife. 
Bright  sparks  of  fire  fell  instantly  upon  the  bark  and  the 
inflammable  resin,  and  quickly  set  them  on  fire.  Little  twigs 
and  broken  sticks  were  then  gently  added  until  the  blaze 
sprang  up  at  last  and  burned  vigorously. 

The  warriors  had  brought  with  them  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  meat  that  had  been  provided  for  the  feasts  which 
always  attended  the  meetings  of  the  great  council.  Each 
individual  of  the  party  [choosing  his  own  time,  cut  out  a 


KAH-NEE-TA.  147 

great  slice  and  laid  it  011  the  embers  to  broil.  When  they 
had  all  satisfied  their  hunger,  they  lazily  spread  down  their 
blankets  on  the  ground  near  the  fire,  and  one  after  the  other 
lay  down  to  sleep. 

When  all  was  again  quiet  and  the  light  from  the  fire 
could  no  longer  be  seen,  the  sentinel  returned  to  the  camp 
and  leisurely  broiled  a  piece  of  meat  over  the  few  coals  that 
remained.,  watching  the  meantime  attentively  about  him. 
At  last  he  got  up  and  wandered  slowly  and  noiselessly  about, 
keeping  some  distance  from  the  camp,  and  stopping  often 
to  look  and  to  listen.  After  many  hours  of  this  silent 
watching  had  passed,  the  sentinel  approached  his  compan- 
ions and  quietly  awakened  them.  The  warriors  sprang 
quickly  to  their  feet  and  seizing  their  weapons,  glanced 
hurriedly  about  them. 

"The  light  will  soon  come/'  said  the  sentinel,  softly. 

It  was  yet  dark,  but  the  position  of  the  stars  and  other 
natural  indications  with  which  'the  warriors  were  familiar, 
confirmed  the  words  of  their  comrade.  Comprehending  im- 
mediately the  purpose  for  which  they  had  been  awakened, 
they  noiselessly  gathered  their  blankets  and  hastened  into 
the  valley  for  their  horses.  In  a  short  time  the  animals 
were  saddled  and  packed  and  ready  to  resume  the  journey 
again.  Mounting  at  once,  the  warriors  rode  silently  away, 
observing  the  same  order  in  their  march  as  on  the  previous 
day. 

Almost  immediately  after  their  departure,  the  soft  gray 
light  of  the  early  morning  began  to  appear,  and  the  clay 
fully  dawned  before  they  were  well  out  of  sight  of  the 
ground  where  they  had  camped  for  the  night.  They  moved 
forward  rapidly,  keeping  close  along  the  edge  of  the  valley 
and  under  the  dark  shadow  of  the  trees.  Occasionally  a 
single  warrior  left  the  party  and  rode  across  the  open  ground 


148  XAH-NEE-TA. 

to  the  forest  beyond,  or  far  up  into  some  connecting  valley 
or  canon,  searching  the  ground  thoroughly  in  every  direc- 
tion. All  these  precautions,  however,  proved  useless,  and 
failed  to  discover  the  least  indication  of  the  presence  of  the 
enemy.  Assured  by  these  repeated  examinations  that  the 
object  of  their  search  could  not  possibly  be  near,  the  party 
turned  at  last  into  a  little  open  space  in  ;the  forest  where 
the  horses  could  Jbe  concealed,  and  dismounted  to  permit 
them  to  graze.  Leaving  a  single  warrior  to  guard  them,  the 
others  hastened  into  the  deep  forest  near  by  to  prepare  their 
morning  meal. 

In  the  management  of  his  party,  To-me  had  followed  the 
customs  observed  by  the  renowned  warriors  of  his  nation 
under  whom  he  had  served.  The  camp  for  the  night  was 
now  made  by  these  redoubtable  men  of  war,  until  the  dark- 
ness had  enabled  them  to  effectually  conceal  their  inten- 
tions. Even  then  it  was  often  changed  from  one  place  to 
another,  especially  when  any  immediate  danger  wsis  ap- 
prehended. 

When  the  camping  ground  was  finally  selected,  it  was 
necessary  that  the  animals  should  be  unsaddled  and  un- 
packed, and  that  they  should  be  taken  at  once  to  some  open 
place  where  grass  could,  be  found,  in  order  that  they  might 
be  permitted  to  graze.  Every  warrior  regarded  the  care  of 
his  animals  as  a  paramount  duty,  and  in  case  of  tin  unex- 
pected attack  while  in  camp  the  imperative  necessity  for 
their  speedy  removal  to  some  more  defensible  place  than  the 
grazing  grounds  usually  afforded.  For  a  time,  therefore, 
after  the  enemy  had  made  an  unexpected  appearance,  the 
warrior's  attention  was  necessarily  divided,  and  his  imme- 
diate services  largely  impaired.  To  guard  against  this  con- 
tingency every  available  means  was  employed  to  conceal  the 
location  of  the  camp,  and  to  make  the  delay  while  in  this 


NAH-NEE-TA.  149 

partially  defenseless  condition  of  as  short  a  Duration  as 
possible. 

To-me  and  his  companions  had  scarcely  passed  out  of 
sight  of  the  spot  upon  which  the  camp  for  the  night  had 
been  made,  when  two  half-naked,  squalid,  ill-favored  look- 
ing savages  rouse  up  stealthily  from  among  the  broken  frag- 
ments of  a  great  rock  that  lay  almost  within  sight  of  the 
place,  and  with  bodies  half  bent  and  short  wary  steps,  made 
their  way  slowly  through  the  forest  towards  it.  When  they 
reached  the  edge  of  the  valley,  they  gazed  anxiously  up  and 
down  and  looked  cautiously  about  them  as  though  in  doubt 
what  had  become  of  the  warriors.  At  last  one  of  the  sav- 
ages discovered  the  trail  of  the  party,  leading  to  the  south- 
ward along  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  he  immediately  fol- 
lowed it  for  a  considerable  distance,  bending  over  it  and 
studying  it  with  care,  in  the  vain  attempt  to  discover  the 
strength  of  the  party  by  the  tracks  of  the  animals.  Eeturn- 
ing  at  length  to  his  companion,  he  threw  himself  down  on 
the  ground  and  crawled  out  in  the  valley  on  his  hands  and 
knees  to  the  place  where  the  horses  had  been  picketed  to 
graze.  Here  he  was  more  successful  and  in  a  short  time  re- 
turned to  his  companion  in  the  same  manner  in  which  he 
had  gone. 

"  There  are  seven  warriors/'  he  said,  "  and  each  has  two 
horses." 

"The  trail  can  be  followed,"  said  his  companion,  "and 
the  horses  all  taken  while  the  warriors  are  asleep." 

"Nay,  nay,"  said  the  other.  "The  warriors  are  on  the 
warpath.  They  close  but  one  eye  while  they  sleep,  and  they 
ride  hard  on  the  trail  of  their  enemies.  The  herd  of  a 
squaw  party  has  good  enough  horses  for  my  brother." 

The  two  Apache  warriors  were  repulsive,  vagabondish 
looking  creatures.  Their  short,  ill-fitting  buckskin  shirts 


150  NAH-tfEE-TA. 

were  covered  with  grease  and  with  dirt.  Their  moccasins, 
surmounted  by  long  leggins  that  readied  above  their  knees, 
were  torn  and  much  soiled.  Their  long  black  hair  fell  un- 
.kempt  upon  their  broad  shoulders,  and  their  heavy,  un- 
washed faces  still  retained  traces  of  the  paint  with  which 
they  had  been  adorned  before  they,  had  started  upon  their 
present  expedition.  They  were  short  in  their  stature,  and 
of  powerful  build;  fair  representatives  altogether  of  the 
nation  to  which  they  belonged.  They  presented  a  striking 
contrast  in  their  personal  appearance  to  the  tall,  well- 
formed  and  graceful  l^avajos,  in  their  comparatively  clean, 
well-fitting  garments  of  deer  skin  and  wool. 

The  Apaches  crouched  down  in  the  midst  of  a  thick 
growth  of  bushes  that  grew  near  the  trail,  and  glanced 
restlessly  about  them  like  wild  beasts  alarmed  by  some 
threatened  danger  of  which  their  senses  had  apprised  them. 
After  waiting  for  some  hours  in  this  concealment  for  the 
coming  of  the  herd  of  the  woman  or  the  medicine  man, 
which  they  had  discovered  from  some  hiding  place  on  the 
previous  day,  they  finally  stole  noiselessly  away  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  forest. 

After  a  brief  delay  had  been  made  To-me  again  caused 
his  warriors  to  mount  and  once  more  pushed  rapidly  south- 
ward. As  he  proceeded,  the  forest  trees  that  grew  on  either 
side  of  the  valley,  gradually  became  more  diminutive  in  size 
and  fewer  in  number  until  at  last  they  ceased  altogether. 
The  valley  itself  terminated  suddenly  upon  a  great  mesa, 
almost  entirely  destitute  of  all  vegetation  or  of  any  object 
that  could  afford  concealment  for  the  party. 

To-me  at  once  recognized  the  mesa  as  the  one  over  which 
he  had  ridden  but  a  few  days  before,  when  on  his  way  from 
the  encampment  of  the  young  chief  to  the  lodge  of  Me-su-la. 

Halting  his  party  under  the  cover  of  some  stunted  pinon 
trees  that  skirted  the  edge  of  the  mesa,  he  sent  a  single  war- 


KAH-NEE-TA.  151 

rior  forward  to  look  down  into  the  canon  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain. 

The  warrior  rode  quickly  away  and  in  a  short  time  reined 
in  his  horse  and  dismounted  near  the  brow  of  the  mesa. 
Cautiously  approaching  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  he  looked 
down  into  the  yawning,  chasm  below.  Far  away  to  the  right 
and  far  away  to  the  left  for  many  weary  miles,  the  view  of  the 
canon  and  the  valley  into  which  it  opened  was  almost 
entirely  uninterrupted.  On  the  opposite  side  a  dense  forest 
of  pine  and  enormous  masses  of  rock  covered  the  sloping 
face  of  a  great  broken  mountain. 

The  warrior  gazed  long  and  earnestly  down  into  the  canon 
and  into  the  forest  beyond,  in  the  attempt  to  discover  some 
evidence  of  the  presence  of  horses  or  men.  Not  the  least 
indication  of  a  living  thing  could  be  seen,  and  the  warrior 
turned  slowly  about  to  signal  to  his  companions.  He 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  then  instinctively  turned  and 
once  more  looked  down  in  the  canon. 

Could  he  be  mistaken  ? 

He  threw  himself  quickly  down  on  his  face,  and  barely 
raising  his  head  from  the  ground  drew  his  body  nearer  the 
brink. 

A  solitary  Apache  warrior  was  moving  out  stealthily  from 
the  cover  of  the  forest.  He  proceeded  directly  to  the  spring 
that  flowed  from  the  base  of  the  precipice,  and  after  slack- 
ing his  thirst  returned  again  slowly  to  his  concealment, 
turning  about  often  as  he  proceeded  to  cover  up  and  obliterate 
the  tracks  he  had  made  in  the  earth. 

As  soon  as  the  Apache  had  disappeared  in  the  forest,  the 
Navajo  drew  slowly  back  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
brink  and  at  last  sprang  to  his  feet.  Hastening  at  once  to 
his  horse  he  quickly  led  him  some  distance  away,  and  tethered 
him  securely  behind  a  great  growth  of  cactus  to  effect  his 
better  concealment.  Returning  again  to  the  brow  of  the 


152  NAH-NEE-TA. 

mesa,  he  hastily  threw  himself  down  on  his  face  and  awaited 
with  anxious  suspense  the  further  movements  of  his  enemy. 
His  vigilance  was  soon  rewarded  by  the  appearance  of  several 
warriors  moving  quickly  across  a  small  opening  in  the  forest 
visible  only  from  his  elevated  position.  This  revelation  was 
sufficient  to  convince  him  that  his  enemies  were  seeking  for 
a  place  of  concealment  from  which  they  might  be  able  to 
operate  with  advantage  against  the  encampment  that  a 
party  of  Navajos  returning  from  the  great  council,  might 
make  in  the  vicinity  of  the  spring. 

He  strained  his  eyes  in  the  attempt  to  catch  another  view 
of  the  Apaches,  but  the  forest  had  swallowed  them  up  and 
hid  them  completely  from  his  view.  Suddenly  a  single  war- 
rior again  emerged  from  the  forest  and  crossed  over  the 
canon,  stopping  and  turning  about  often  as  he  proceeded  to 
obliterate  his  tracks.  Arriving  at  last  on  the  opposite  side, 
he  ran  nimbly  along  near  the  base  of  the  precipice  upon  the 
loose  stones  that  had  fallen  from  its  face,  and  at  last  began 
to  climb  up  the  wall  by  the  same  trail  that  the  runner  To-me 
had  followed  some  days  before. 

"Ah!"  murmured  the  warrior  to  himself,  as  he  observed 
his  enemy  climbing  the  trail.  "The  Apache  is  kind.  He 
hastens  to  bring  up  his  scalp  to  hang  at  the  girdle  of  Ka- 
nee-no." 

Then  drawing  back  from  the  brink,  until  far  enough  away 
to  escape  observation  from  the  Apaches  concealed  in  the 
forest,  he  raised  himself  up  on  his  feet  and  ran  quickly  to  a 
point  near  the  end  of  the  trail  on  the  brow  of  the  mesa. 
Throwing  himself  again  upon  the  ground  he  crawled  forward 
until  within  a  few  feet  of  the  brink,  and  concealed  himself 
behind  a  small  pile  of  stones  that  had  been  raised  by  the 
herders  from  the  village  to  mark  the  trail,  down  which  they 
were  accustomed  to  drive  their  flocks  from  the  pastures  be- 
yond the  mesa  to  drink  at  the  spring  in  the  canon. 


NAH-NEE-TA.  153 

Ka-nee-no  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  appearance  of  his 
enemy.  A  black  bushy  head  slowly  emerged  above  the  level 
of  the  mesa  and  remained  motionless  for  a  time,  while  a 
pair  of  dark,  wicked-looking  eyes  wandered  restlessly  in 
every  direction  over  the  plain.  Assured  at  length  that  the 
mesa  was  deserted,  the  wily  Apache  slowly  drew  himself  up> 
and  at  last  stood  upon  his  feet  and  walked  back  and  forth 
near  the  brink,  gazing  alternately  out  on  the  plain  and  down 
in  tfre  canon. 

The  Navajo  watched  him  fixedly  as  he  moved  to  and  fro, 
and  waited  with  bent  bow  and  poised  arrow  until  he  should 
get  farther  away  from  the  brink,  and  if  possible  out  of  sight 
of  his  comrades,  who  might  be  watching  from  their  place  of 
concealment  in  the  forest.  At  last  the  favorable  moment 
arrived,  and  instantly  the  sharp  twang  of  a  bow  string  re- 
sounded through  the  air  and  the  Apache  warrior,  shot  through 
the  body  by  the  iron  barbed  arrow  of  the  valiant  Ka-nee-no, 
fell  heavily  forward  upon  the  gronnd. 

With  a  low  cry  of  triumph  the  Navajo  sprang  forward, 
and  drawing  his  knife  hastily  from  its  sheath,  struck  savagely 
.at  his  prostrate  foe.  To  his  intense  astonishment  the 
wounded  Apache  suddenly  revived  from  the  death -like  shock 
which  the  wound  from  the  arrow  had  given  him,  and,  raising 
his  arm,  dexterously  warded  the  blow.  Then,  grappling 
desperately  with  his  assailant,  he  dragged  him  to  the  ground 
and  struck  him  heavily  with  his  knife. 

The  young  warrior  struggled  with  all  the  strength  of 
despair  to  effect  his  release  from  his  powerful  foe,  but  all 
his  struggles  were  in  vain.  The  Apache  held  him  powerless 
in  his  grasp,  and,  raising  his  knife,  slowly  poised  it  for  a 
blow,  his  fiendish  eyes  dancing  with  delight  while  he  delayed 
the  moment  of  his  triumph.  The  undaunted  Xavajo  glanced 
at  the  bright  blade  as  it  gleamed  above  him  in  the  sun,  and 


154  STAH-XEE-TA. 

then,  quickly  gathering  his  fast  failing  strengtn,  nerved 
himself  for  a  last  desperate  struggle.  The  Apache  anticipa- 
ting the  attempt  of  his  enemy,  tightened  his  grasp  upon  him 
spasmodically,  and  with  almost  superhuman  strength  held 
him  even  more  firmly  and  helpless  than  before.  It  was  but 
for  an  instant  however.  A  tremor  suddenly  seized  upon 
his  powerful  frame,  and  hi^  iron  hand  slowly  relaxed  its 
rigid  grasp.  His  raised  arm  fell  powerless  to  the  earth,  and 
the  bright  bladed  knife  that  he  had  with  unintentional 
mercy  delayed  in  its  course,  to  minister  to  his  passions,  fell 
from  his  nerveless  hand  and  rattled  harmlessly  UDOII  the  stony 
brow  of  the  mesa. 

With  a  low  moaning  cry  he  fell  forward  upon  his  face  in 
the  agony  of  death.  Ka-nee-no  perceived  that  the  grim 
monster  had  come  thus  unexpectedly  to  his  assistance;  but- 
fearing  that  the  powerful  Apache  might  again  possibly  revive, 
he  thrust  him  violently  away  and  instantly  plunged  his 
knife  to  the  hilt  in  his  breast.  The  Apache  gave  a  quick 
convulsive  shudder,  and  drawing  up  his  hands  clutched 
feebly  at  the  wound.  His  eyes  glared  savagely  at  his  foe, 
and  an  expression  of  intense  hate  and  defiance  fixed  itself 
upon  his  dark,  bloodless  face. 

"  The  Great  Spirit  is  good,"  said  Ka-nee-no  at  length, 
with  hard,  labored  breath.  "The  Apache  is  dead." 

The  young  warrior  was  greatly  exhausted  by  the  severe 
struggle  he  had  undergone,  and  much  weakened  by  loss  of 
blood  from  the  wound  made  by  the  knife  of  the  Apache. 
Removing  his  hunting  shirt,  he  found  a  great  gash  in  his 
side  from  which  the  blood  freely  flowed.  Forcing  together 
the  severed  sides  of  the  wound  as  well  as  [he  was  able,  he 
drew  the  wide  belt  of  his  po'uch  tightly  about  it,  and  replac- 
ing his  hunting  shirt,  fastened  his  knife  belt  firmly  outside. 
Then  dragging  himself  slowly  forward,  he  once  more  ap- 


VA7I-NEE-TA.  155 

proa/cliecl  the  brink  of   tlie  mesa  and  looked  down  in  the 
canon  and  the  forest  beyond. 

Not  a  living  being  could  be  seen.  A  faint  moaning 
sound  awakened  by  the  breeze  in  the  forest  fell  upon  his  ear. 
Almost  imperceptible  at  first,,  it  grew  stronger  as  he  listened 
until  it  filled  the  deep  canon  beneath  him  with  a  great,  un- 
earthly wail. 

It  was  the  funeral  dirge  of  the- evil  spirits  for  the  Apache 
he  had  slain. 

The  young  warrior  drew  back  in  terror  from  the  brink, 
aud  at  once  hastened  to  escape.  Stopping  for  a  moment  in 
his  flight  to  tear  away  the  scalp  of  the  Apache,  he  hurried 
forward  again  with  the  ghastly  trophy  fastened  to  his  girdle. 
Quickly  mounting  his  horse  he  threw  himself  forward  on  the 
animal's  neck  and  rode  furiously  away  across  the  mesa  to 
join  his  companions. 

"  Me-ra  ! "  cried  To-me,  in  a  tone  of  surprise,  as  the 
young  warrior  sprang  from  his  horse  and  sank  exhausted 
upon  the  ground.  "Ka-nee-no  has  blood  on  his  blanket/' 

"And  a  fresh  scalp  at  his  girdle,"  said  0-see-to  excitedly. 
"Has  Ka-nee-no  no  words  in  his  mouth?"  asked  To-me, 
hurriedly. 

"  Yea  ;  Ka-nee-no  has  words  in  his  mouth/'  said  the 
young  man,  speaking  slowty,  and  with  much  labored  breath, 
"and  they  will  make  the  hearts  of  his  brothers  rejoice. 
The  Apaches  are  hid  in  the  forest,  down  in  the  canon.  Ka- 
nee-no  knows  not  how  many.  One  came  up  the  trail  to  the 
top  of  the  mesa,  to  watch  for  the  coming  of  the  people  from 
the  council.  Ka-nee-no  wounded  him  sore  with  an  arrow, 
but  the  Apache  was  brave  and  bore  his  wound  like  a  war- 
rior. He  was  stronger  than  Ka-nee-no.  and  his  knife  was 
ready  and  sharp.  It  cut  deep  and  Ka-nee-no  is  weak,  be- 
cause his  blood  has  run  out. 


156  KAH-STEE-TA. 

"  The  G-reat  Spirit  is  good,  and  the  scalp  of  the  Apache 
hangs  as  a  trophy  at  the  girdle  of  Ka-nee-no. 

"When  the  Apache  was  dead,  Ka-nee-no  once  more 
looked  down  in  the  canon,  and  into  the  great  forest  beyond. 
The  Apaches  could  not  be  seen,  and  Ka-nee-no's  heart  was 
made  glad.  They  had  not  heard  the  twang  of  his  bow 
string,  nor  the  death  cry  of  their  comrade.  But  while  Ka- 
nee-no  looked  down,  a  great  wailing  cry  came  up  from  the 
canon  and  made  him  afraid.  Ka-nee-no  has  spoken. 
There  are  no  more  words  in  his  mouth/' 

"Ka-nee-no  has  done  well/'  said  To-me,  with  great  ani- 
mation. "  The  squaws  will  sing  praise  in  his  ears  when  he 
goes  back  to  his  lodge,  and  the  hearts  of  the  warriors  will 
be  glad  when  Ka-nee-no  shall  call  them  his  brothers.  The 
squaws  will  sing  of  his  trophies,  and  his  wounds,  and  the 
young  men  will  gather  at  the  door  of  his  lodge.  Ground 
corn  and  sweet  milk,  and  fresh  meat  and  salt  will  wait  for 
the  coming  of  Ka-nee-no  in  every  ho-gaii  in  the  nation." 

The  young  man,  much  enfeebled  by  great  loss  of  blood, 
and  stiff  and  sore  from  his  wound,  raised  himself  up  with 
difficulty  on  his  elbow  and  gazed  intently  at  the  speaker. 
His  eyes  burned  with  an  unnatural  brightness  as  he  listened 
to  the  glowing  words  of  his  leader,  and  his  frame  trembled 
with  delight  that  he  could  not  suppress. 

He  had  performed  a  brave  deed  and  his  companions  had 
hastened  to  speak  words  of  praise,  and  do  him  great  honor. 
His  thoughts  wandered  quickly  to  his  home,  and  his  fancy 
pictured  the  glorious  reception  awaiting  him  there  upon  his 
return.  He  could  already  hear  the  voices  of  the  women, 
and  the  shouts  of  the  men.  He  could  see  the  chief  of  his 
clan,  pressing  forward  through  the  throng,  to  bid  him  wel- 
come and  speak  words  of  praise.  He  could  see  the  eyes  of 
the  young  warriors  fixed  upon  his  trophies,  glad  to  do  him 
honor,  but  envious  of  his  fame.  His  blood  coursed  quickly 


NAH-XEE-TA .  157 

through  his  veins,,  as  his  mind  dwelt  upon  the  picture  his 
fancy  had  created,  and  raising  himself,  unconsciously,  he 
sat  upright  and  assumed  a  proud,  haughty  air.  Thus 
would  he  hear  himself  before  his  people,  in  the  glorious  hour 
of  his  triumph.  Not  a  quiver  of  a  muscle,  nor  a  motion  of 
his  frame  should  reveal  the  workings  of  his  heart.  Silently 
and  proudly  would  he  ride,  indifferent  and  responsive  to  the 
praises  of  the  crowd. 

"Hist  I"  cried  To-me,  as  he  caught  sight  of  the  ani- 
mated face  of  the  young  man.  "Ka-nee-no  must  cease  to 
talk  to  himself.  He  must  lie  down  and  sleep,  that  he  may 
grow  strong  again." 

"Yea,"  said  Ka-nee-no,  abstractedly.  "The  words  of 
To-me  are  all  good." 

He  raised  his  head  mechanically  as  he  spake,  and  instantly 
a  sharp  twang  of  pain  awakened  him  rudely  from  his  reverie 
and  dispelled  the  bright  vision  that  had  covered  his  wounds 
with  forgetf  ulness.  To-me  hastened  at  once  to  his  assistance, 
and  laid  him  down  gently  on  the  ground. 

"To-me  is  kind,"  said  the  wounded  warrior  thankfully, 
"and  his  words  are  all  good." 

He  moved  about  restlessly  for  awhile,  and  then,  closing 
his  eyes,  fell  into  a  light,  troubled  sleep.  Sometime  after 
midnight  he  suddenly  awoke  to  full  consciousness  again. 
His  companions  stood  silently  about  him,  holding  their 
horses  and  ready  to  mount.  Raising  him  gently  to  his  feet 
they  lifted  him  carefully  upon  his  horse,  and  then  springing 
quickly  into  their  saddles,  followed  their  leader  out  on  the 
mesa. 

Turning  immediately  to  the  West  they  rode  slowly  for- 
ward, keeping  as  close  along  the  edge  of  the  forest  as  the 
low  overhanging  limbs  of  the  stunted  trees  would  permit. 
Occasionally  they  halted  for  a  short  time  in  the  deep  shadow 
of  some  great  tree  that  towered  above  its  fellows,  to  listen 


158  ISTAH-XEE-TA. 

and  to  permit  their  wounded  companion  to  rest.  At  length, 
after  a  long  distance  had  been  accomplished,  they  suddenly 
changed  their  direction  and  cautiously  approached  the  brow 
of  the  mesa,  searching  the  ground  as  they  proceeded  to  find 
a  trail  leading  down  into  the  canon. 

The  watchful  and  vigilant  Apaches,  schooled  in  all  the 
devices  of  the  war-path,  had  doubtless  placed  sentinels  to 
watch  all  the  trails  near  their  encampment.  It  was  neces- 
sary, therefore,  to  get  some  distance  away  before  an  attempt 
to  descend  into  the  canon  should  be  made. 

A  narrow,  indistinct  trail  was  finally  discovered  leading 
down  the  steep  face  of  the  wall,  and  the  party  at  once  dis- 
mounted and  began  the  descent.  The  trail  was  scarcely 
practicable  for  the  animals,  and  a  long  time  was  consumed 
in  getting  them  down.  When  the  descent  was  accomplished 
at  last  the  party  at  once  mounted  again,  and  turning  to  the 
East  rode  slowly  toward  the  place  where  the  valiant  Ka-nee- 
no  had  seen  the  enemy  in  the  forest. 

Within  the  half  of  a  mile  from  the  spring  near  which  the 
Apaches  were  now  doubtless  concealed,  the  peon  herders  had 
built  a  strong  corral  of  timber  and  stones  for  the  temporary 
protection  of  their  flocks  from  the  storms  and  the  attacks  of 
wild  beasts.  To  reach  this  corral  if  possible,  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  enemy,  was  now  almost  a  necessary  pre- 
caution. Halting,  therefore,  while  some  distance  away,  the 
young  leader  sent  forward  a  single  warrior  on  foot,  to  dis- 
cover whether  it  would  be  prudent  to  proceed.  The  warrior 
soon  returned  with  a  favorable  report,  and  the  party  again 
moved  cautiously  forward,  halting  repeatedly  as  it  went  and 
using  every  possible  precaution  to  prevent  the  Apaches  from 
discovering  its  presence.  These  efforts  were  at  last  entirely 
successful,  and  the  warriors,  dismounting  from  their  horses, 
led  them  one  after  the  other  through  a  narrow  opening  with- 
in the  enclosure. 


XII. 

The  last  day  of  the  gr  !  had  come,  and  the 

gathering  crowds  a  wait  yd  with  impatience  the  beginning  of 
the  final  contests  for  wagers  and  honors. 

Races  were  to  he  run  over  again,  and  feats  of  strength 
and  of  skill  were  to  be  repeated  to  satisfy  the  demands  of 
champions  who  had  been  defeated  in  former  trials. 

Successful  gamblers  smilingly  awaited  the  rich  harvest 
that  experience  had  taught  them  to  expect  during  the  wild 
excitement  of  the  day.  Poor  dupes  who  had  still  something 
left,  longed  for  the  beginning  of  the  games,  with  the  hope 
that  they  might  win  some  of  the  rich  wagers  which  they 
knew  would  be  hazarded  by  reckless  players  like  themselves. 

Buyers  and  sellers  who  had  failed  to  agree  upon  the  value 
of  horses  and  weapons,  and  of  maidens  and  sheep,  waited 
anxiously  for  each  other,  to  receive  hoped  for  concessions, 
or  to  make  new  propositions. 

Expectation  was  on  tiptoe,  and  the  excited  people  hur- 
ried rapidly  from  one  place  to  another,  anxious  lest  some 
wonder  should,  occur  which  they  might  fail  to  witness. 

The  woman  Po-lone  stood  near  her  camp  fire  gazing  in- 
tently at  the  crowds.  She  had  promised  the  medicine  man 
to  break  up  her  encampment  when  the  sun  shone  into  the 
the  top  of  the  lodges,  and  follow  him  to  his  ho-gan.  But 
a  few  hours  yet  remained  to  make  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  her  departure;  and  speak  her  adieus  to  h^r  friends 
from  the  north.  Suddenly  the  temptation  came  strong 
upon  her  to  slight  the  promise  she  had  made  and  spread  her 
robes  on  the  ground  for  another  test  of  fortune  with  her 
cards.  It  would  be  a  sacrifice  to  her  passion  for  gambling, 
which  she  had  not  thought  of  before,  if  she  should  now  tear 


160  XAll-XEE-TA. 

herself  away  at  the  very  hour  that  gave  her  greatest  promise. 
The  medicine  man  might  be  angry,  but  she  could  appease 
him  with  a  gift,  and  plead  the  importunities  of  her  friends 
to  excuse  her  unintentional  delay. 

She  turned  about  to  select  some  trinkets  from  her  store 
to  wager  at  the  opening  of  the  game.  While  she  was  thus 
engaged  and  lingering  over  her  ornaments,  undecided  which 
to  take  or  to  leave,  she  suddenly  caught  sight  of  the  tall, 
graceful  form  of  'the  young  chief  approaching  her  encamp- 
ment. As  he  drew  near  she  suspended  her  work  and  has- 
tened to  spread  a  robq  on  the  ground  for  his  use. 

Without  uttering  a  word,  the  chief  sat  down  on  the  robe, 
and  drawing  his  pouch  before  him,  proceeded  with  great  de- 
liberation to  take  from  it  some  pulverized  tobacco,  and  to 
roll  a  small  portion  within  a  piece  of  fine  husk  which  had 
been  cut  from  the  inner  covering  of  an  ear  of  Indian  corn. 
When  he  had  completed  his  task,  he  raised  his  eyes  lan- 
guidly and  gazed  for  a  moment  at  the  woman  who  had 
seated  herself  near  him,  and  then  at  the  smoldering  embers 
of  her  fire  not  far  away.  Comprehending  his  wishes  the 
woman  arose  quickly  to  her  feet  and  hastened  to  bring  him 
a  partially  burned  stick  upon  which  living  coals  yet  re- 
mained. Her  guest  received  the  services  with  a  grunt  of 
approval,  and  after  lighting  his  tobacco,  returned  the  stick 
w.ith  a  similar  expression,  to  indicate  that  he  was  thankful 
and  pleased. 

He  puffed  away  vigorously  at  his  improvised  cigar,  and 
the  smoke  curled  in  a  great  cloud  about  his  face.  He  sat 
silently  the  meantime,  gazing  vacantly  upon  the  ground. 
At  last,  when  the  tobacco  was  consumed,  he  turned  hastily 
to  the  woman  and  nodded  his  head  familiarly  towards  her 
as  though  he  had  just  observed  her  for  the  first  time  since 
his  arrival. 


NAH-^EE-TA.  161 

"Po-lone  breaks  up  her  encampment  to-day  and  rides  to 
the  south  ?  "  he  said  enquiringly. 

"Yea,"  answered  the  woman  quickly,  wondering  how 
the  chief  had  discovered  that  such  had  been  her  intention, 
and  hastening  with  her  answer  lest  her  latter  purpose  also 
might  somehow  or  other  have  been  discovered.  "Yea,  Po- 
lone  rides  when  the  sun  shines  in  the  top  of  the  lodges/' 

"Po-lone  is  wise,"  said  the  chief,  "and  knows  which  is 
best." 

A  long  silence  followed  the  conventional  remark  of  the 
chief  during  which  both  he  and  the  woman  sat  gazing  va- 
cantly at  the  ground.  Po-lone  busied  herself  the  mean- 
while with  her  thoughts,  wondering  how  the  young  chief 
had  learned  of  her  promise  to  break  up  her  encampment  at 
mid-day,  and  the  chief  sat  patiently  waiting  for  the  woman 
to  speak  concerning  the  purpose  for  which  he  had  come. 

At  last  the  woman  raised  up  her  head  and  turned  her  eyes 
in  the  direction  of  her  guest  as  though  she  intended  to  speak. 
The  chief  glanced  languidly  towards  her,  and  gravely  in- 
clined his  head  to  listen  to  her  words.  She  hesitated  for  a 
moment  as  though  in  doubt  what  to  say,  and  then  cast  her 
eyes  in  confusion  upon  the  ground.  It  was  a  question  of 
doubtful  propriety  she  desired  to  ask,  and  one  which  the 
chief  would  hesitate  probably  to  answer,  unless  it  was  put 
with  ingenious  adroitness.  She  had  therefore  carefully 
chosen  the  words  she  deemed  it  best  to  employ,  and  had 
selected  others  to  hang  about  them  and  conceal  them  from 
conspicuous  view,  like  leaves  that  partially  obscure  the 
branches  upon  which  they  grow. 

In  blissful  ignorance  of  her  ultimate  purpose,  she  hoped 
that  the  chief  might  be  drawn  on  unconsciously  by  this 
means  to  tell  her  how  he  had  learned  of  her  intention  ta 
break  up  her  encampment.  But  at  the  last  moment  some- 


162  XAH-XEE-TA. 

defect  iii  the  meaning  of  the  words  she  had  chosen  suddenly 
became  apparent,  and  she  remained  silent.  When  the  chief 
found  that  the  woman  had  no  wordy  in  her  mouth,  he 
dropped  his  head  and  again  cast  his  eyes  on  the  ground. 

Another  long  silence  ensued,  each  waiting  for  the  other  to 
speak,  with  the  hope  that  some  word  might  be  spoken  that 
would  spare  a  useless  committal.  Often  individuals  sat 
thus,  side  by  side,  hour  after  hour,  waiting  patiently  and 
silently,  one  upon  the  other,  for  some  word  of  encourage- 
ment that  promised  success  for  some  favor  sought,  some 
trade  desired,  or  the  acceptance  of  an  offer  for  a  maiden. 

To  the  proud  and  haughty  warrior,  or  the  still  more  proud 
and  haughty  chief,  the  mortification  of  a  refusal  was  always 
ielt  most  intensely.  No  more  complete  humiliation  could  be 
experienced  by  these  lords  of  creation,  than  that  which 
followed  a  refusal.  They  sat  in  silence,  therefore,  at  the 
lodges  of  their  friend.s,  to  whom  some  offer  or  request  had 
been  previously  made,  waiting  with  patience  until  they  were 
assured  of  success. 

The  visit  of  a  warrior  for  such  purpose  was  usually  an- 
ticipated by  his  friend.  The  offer  that  had  proceeded  his 
coming,  had  not  been  made  with  a  view  of  an  immediate 
acceptance,  for  that  might  involve  sometimes  a  refusal, 
but  for  consideration  at  some  future  cime.  When  he  came, 
therefore,  and  sat  silently  at  the  lodge  or  within  the  encamp- 
ment, it  was  presumed  that  he  had  come  for  his  answer. 
When  he  received  the  encouragement  he  expected,  the  bargain 
might  proceed  at  once,  thereafter,  to  its  conclusion,  but 
when  his  host  remained  persistently  silent,  the  warrior 
could  wrap  his  blanket  about  him  and  take  his  departure, 
thankful  that  no  word  had  been  spoken  which  could  be  used 
to  fix  the  actual  purpose  of  his  visit. 

ISTah-nee-ta  stood  at  a  distance,  watching  the  chief  and 
her  mother,  as  they  yat  silently  in  their  places.  Their  ex- 


HAH-NEE-TA.  163 

press ionless  faces  gave  her  no  indication  of  the  intention  of 
either.  She  had  heard  the  chief  make  his  offer  of  horses, 
but  neither  she  nor  her  mother  had  expected  his  visit  before 
their  return  to  the  village.  The  dwarf  had  told  her  of  the 
offer  which  To-me  had  made,  and  she  had  anxiously  awaited 
his  coming,  hoping  constantly  that  he  would  be  the  first  to 
sit  in  her  mother's  encampment,  to  await  her  words  of  en- 
couragement. Her  heart  sank  within  her  as  she  observed 
that  the  chief  sat  silently  waiting  for  his  answer.  She 
knew  her  mother  too  well  to  indulge  in  the  hope  that  her 
preference  for  To-me,  which  she  had  endeavored  to  make 
known  by  artful  words  in  his  praise,  and  never-ending  ques- 
tions that  always  ended  with  a  sigh,  why  he  came  no  more 
to  visit  at  their  fire,  would  be  considered  or  even  remembered. 
She  choked  back  her  sobs  and  restrained  her  tears  as  well 
as  she  was  able,  lest  she  should  be  observed,  and  attempted 
like  a  dutiful  daughter  to  reconcile  herself  in  the  best  way 
she  could  to  what  now  appeared  to  be  inevitable. 

It  would  be  worse  than  folly,  she  attempted  to  reason 
with  herself,  that  she  should  make  her  life  miserable  in  a 
useless  struggle  against  fate. 

From  her  infancy  she  had, been  taught  that  it  was  im- 
modest and  improper  for  a  maiden  to  look  with  favor  upon 
a  warrior.  Had  it  been  known  that  she  had  permitted  her- 
self to  indulge  in  a  choice,  public  opinion  would  have 
denounced  her  as  a  wanton,  and  unworthy  the  confidence 
of  a  husband.  She  sat  down  quickly  and  wiped  away  the 
tears  she  had  not  been  able  to  suppress,  wondering  why  it 
was  that  her  thoughts  would  continue  so  constantly  perverse. 

Po-lone  was  busied  the  meanwhile  in  preparing  her  ques- 
tions, and  some  time  had  elapsed  before  it  occurred  to  her 
mind  that  the  chief  had  come  for  his  ansAver  to  the  offer  he 
had  made  for  her  daughter. 


164  NAH-XEE-TA. 

"Me-ra,"  she  said,  hastening  to  speak,  lest  :her  delay 
might  be  regarded  as  intentional.  "The  heart  of  Po-lone 
is  made  glad,  because  the  chief  has  now  come.  She  has 
kept  his  words  in  her  heart,  and  they  are  all  very  good/' 

The  chief  nodded  his  head,  and  grunted  in  reply. 

"  How  many  horses  did  the  chief  offer?"  she  asked,  hesita- 
tingly. 

"Two,"  he  replied,  and  after  a  pause  he  added  decidedly, 
"Mariano  offered  two,  and  no  more." 

"The  chief  is  rich,"  said  the  woman,  "and  there  is  no 
other  maiden  like  Nah-nee-ta  in  all  the  nation." 

"  Two  horses,"  he  replied  stubbornly. 

"The  chief  is  rich,"  urged  the  woman,  "'and  a  horse  is 
not  missed  from  his  herd.  The  heart  of  Po-lone  will  be  sad 
if  Nah-nee-ta  goes  from  her  lodge  for  the  common  price  of 
a  maiden." 

"The  words  of  the  woman  are  wise,"  he  said  at  length. 
"A  squaw  that  is  fit  for  a  chief,  should  be  worthy  of  more 
than  the  common  price  of  a  maiden.  Po-lone  shall  choose 
three  of  the  best  horses  from  the  herd  of  the  chief,  if  she 
will.  But  the  ears  of  Mariano  are  many,"  he  added  quickly, 
"and  he  will  wait  now  no  longer  for  his  answer." 

"The  words  of  the  chief  are  all  good,"  she  said  submis- 
sively. "  When  Po-lone  returns  to  the  South,  she  will  select 
the  horses  from  the  herd  of  the  chief,  and  he  shall  take  the 
maiden  to  his  lodge." 

And  so  it  was  done.  The  girl  was  sold.  The  beautiful 
Nah-nee-ta  had  gone  for  a  price,  like  a  slave  or  a  horse,  to 
a  new  master. 

The  mother  smiled  upon  the  chief,  and  the  chief  nodded 
his  head  and  grunted  his  approval.  Then  drawing  his 
blanket  about  him,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  strode  haughtily 
away  towards  his  encampment,  without  uttering  a  word. 


KAH-^EE-TA.  165 

It  may  be  that  such  things  occur  all  over  the  world,  and 
that  traffic  in  lives  and  affections  is  common.  It  may  be 
that  the  power  of  wealth  and  position  is  used  everywhere  to 
enslave  the  fair  and  helpless.  If  suchis  the  case,  a  difference 
exists  only  in  method,  as  people  are  rude  or  refined.  The 
savage,  untaught  and  uncouth,  acts  with  simple  direction, 
and  scorns  to  conceal  the  purpose  in  view.  The  civilized 
man,  enlightened  and  courteous  with  labored  finesse  and 
tortuous  ways,  employs  the  silent  power  his  possessions  may 
give.  The  methods  are  all  that  can  differ.  The  end  is 
virtually  the  same. 

As  soon  as  the  chief  was  well  out  of  sight,  Po-lone  sum- 
moned the  dwarf,  and  bade  him  hasten  to  the  pasture  and 
drive  in  the  horses.  He  gazed  at  the  woman  for  a  moment 
in  utter  surprise,  and  then  turning  about  pointed  with  his 
finger  towards  the  animals,  still  tethered  securely  at  the  line 
where  they  had  remained  since  the  previous  day. 

"Po-lone  has  lost  a  piece  of  her  head/'  he  said  at  length, 
turning  his  perplexed  face  towards  her,  while  he  kept  his 
finger  extended  in  the  direction  of  the  horses. 

"Yea,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  "Che-no  speaks  true.  Po- 
lone  has  lost  a  piece  of  her  head." 

She  gazed  stupidly  about  her  while  she  spake,  apparently 
endeavoring  to  recall  why  the  animals  had  been  kept  at  the 
line,  when  they  should  have  gone  to  the  grazing  grounds 
some  hours  before. 

"The  woman  bade  Che-no  make  ready  to  ride,"  said  the 
dwarf. 

The  words  of  the  peon  brought  quickly  to  her  mind  her 
original  purpose  to  break  up  her  encampment  at  midday, 
and  ride  to  the  ho-gan  of  the  medicine  man. 

"Yes,"  she  said  quickly,  "Che-no  speaks  true.  His  ears 
hold  the  words  that  he  hears.  He  may  go  to  the  herd  and 
make  ready  to  ride." 


166  XAH-NEE-TA. 

As  the  dwarf  turned  away,  ;i  iiie  crept  slowly 

over  the  heavy  face  of  the  woman,  and  she  chuckled  aloud 
and  rubbed  her  hands  vigorously/  together. 

"Me-raT*  she  murmured,  "The  thoughts  of  Po-lone 
were  fast  in  her  head.  The  horses  stood  tied  at  the  line  in 
view  of  the  chief,  and  Po-lone  has  troubled  her  head  because 
of  his  words." 

"Bah \9'  she  exclaimed,  as  she  suddenly  remembered  that 
her  purpose  to  delay  her  departure  had  been  defeated  by 
her  hasty  reply  to  the  question  of  the  chief.  f<  Po-lone  is  a 
child.  She  shut  her  she  turned  her  face  to  her 

herd,  and  carried  her  head  in  •:  bag/' 

It  was  impossible  now  to  delay  her  departure,  and  bidding 
her  daughter  go  with  her,  she  set  out  at  once  to  find  her 
friends  from  the  JSTorth  and  bid  them  adieu.  When  she 
had  completed  this  duty,  she  returned  to  her  encampment, 
and  mounting  her  horse  rode  quietly  away  across  the  great 
plain,  followed  by  her  daughter,  her  peon  and  her  herd. 
Turning  about  as  she  rode  slowly  along,  she  looked  back 
wistfully  at  the  busy  scenes  she  was  leaving  behind.  Then 
shaking  her  head  sorrowfully  she  murmured  again,  "Po-lone 
was  a  child.  She  carried  her  head  in  a  bag/' 

The  sun  had  already  disappeared  behind  the  great  moun- 
tain range  on  the  west  of  the  plain,  when  she  overtook  the 
disorderly  herds  of  the  medicine  man.  From  some  cause  or 
other  it  had  been  delayed  in  its  journey,  and  was  now  wind- 
ing about  in  the  broken  foot  hills,  at  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain. 

The  woman  reined  in  her  horse  and  followed  on  leisurely 
behind  it.  The  great  rugged  face  of  the  mountain  before 
her  was  flooded  with  the  last  rays  of  the. sun,  and  ablaze 
with  the  glitter  of  imbedded  stones  that  reflected  the  light. 
As  she  gazed  indifferently  at  the  glorious  vision,  her  wan- 


NAH-N-EE-TA.  16T 

dering  eyes  rested  at  last  upon  some  diminutive  objects 
away  to  the  south,  moving  slowly  upward  near  the  top  of 
the  mountain. 

Her  curiosity  was  awakened  at  once  to  know  what  they 
were,  and  she  watched  them  attentively  until  they  had 
passed  out  of  view.  Once  again  as  she  looked  she  caught 
sight  of  the  objects  upon  the  top  of  a  great  spur  of  the 
mountain  that  jutted  far  out  on  the  plain.  Their  forms 
were  clearly  denned  against  the  bright  sky,  revealing  the 
figures  of  horses  and  men.  In  a  moment  they  again  dis- 
appeared from  her  view,  and  she  saw  them  no  more. 

They  were  doubtless  a  body  of  warriors,  but  where  they 

were  from,  or  who  they  might  be,  she  could  only  conjecture. 

Some  expedition  of  her  people  perhaps,  endeavoring  to 

conceal  its  departure,  or  even  it  was  possible,  a  daring  band 

of  their  enemies,  out  on  some  present  mischief. 

Counseling  with  her  fears,  she  grew  anxious  and  alarmed, 
and  at  last  hastened  forward  to  report  what  she  had  seen  to 
the  medicine  man. 

' '  There  are  warriors  on  the  mountain  far  away  to  the 
•outh/'  she  whispered  hurriedly,  as  she  rode  to  his  side. 

"The  eyes  of  the  woman  are  sharp,,"  he  replied.  "  The 
warriors  she  saw  are  her  friends  from  the  clans  of  the  head 
chief  Barbon-ce-to."  Then  after  a  pause  he  continued. 
"  They  ride  to  the  south  to  look  at  the  tracks  that  frightened 
the  peons,  in  the  pasture  grounds  of  Me-su-la." 

She  waited  awhile  and  rode  on  at  his  side  with  the  hope 
that  he  would  give  her  at  length  some  further  information 
concerning  their  mission.  She  waited  in  vain.  He  had 
told  her  all  that  he  deemed  it  projfer  she  should  know,  and 
rode  on  thereafter  in  silence,  ignoring  her  presence.  She 
drew  away  from  him  at  last,  and  halted  by  the  side  of  the 
trail  for  the  coming  of  her  herd. 


168  NAH-NBE-TA. 

The  ascent  of  the  mountain  had  now  been  fairly  begun, 
and  the  unruly  animals  soon  became  quiet  enough  as  they 
toiled  along  one  after  the  other,  up  the  difficult  path.  The 
storm  of  the  previous  night  had  nearly  obliterated  the  trail, 
and  in  places  had  worn  great  furrows  across  it,  or  covered  it 
from  sight  with  great  piles  of  stones  or  with  masses  of  earth 
The  darkness  coming  on,  rapidly'  increased  the  difficulties 
of  the  ascent,  and  rendered  the  progress  of  the  herds  still 
more  labored  and  slow.  Long  delays  now  often  became 
necessary  to  permit  the  animals  and  the  people  to  rest,  or  to 
await  the  removal  of  obstructions  from  the  trail.  At  last  a 
peon  ignited  a  torch  of  resinous  wood  and  preceded  his 
master  to  light  up  the  way.  Guided  by  the  torch  the  cara- 
van, advanced  more  rapidly  than  before,  halting  repeatedly, 
however,  and  moving  on  spasmodically  again  as  the  animals 
found  strength  to  proceed.  At  last  the  top  of  the  mountain 
was  reached,  and  a  long  delay  was  then  made  to  permit  the 
horses  and  people  to  take  needed  rest  before  the  journey  was 
resumed. 

"Under  the  guidance  of  To-me  the  medicine  man  had  rid- 
den from  his  ho-gan  to  the  encampment  at  the  mouth  of 
the  canon  in  nearly  the  same  time  that  it  had  taken  him 
now  to  effect  the  ascent  of  -the  mountain.  It  was  compara- 
tively easy,  however,  to  make  the  descent,  and  owing  to  the 
presence  of  the  warrior,  the  servants  had  followed  in  order 
and  silence. 

The  feeble  old  man  had  lost  control  of  his  peons  and 
squaws,  and  they  had  spent  the  whole  of  the  day  in  wrang- 
ling and  quarreling  about  their  several  duties  in  following 
the  herd.  Their  progress*  had  therefore  been  delayed,  and 
the  darkness  had  overtaken  them  at  last,  before  the  journey 
had  fairly  begun. 

The  most  difficult  part  of  the  route,  however,  had  now 
been  successfully  accomplished,  and  a  well-traveled  trail, 


KAH-XEE-TA.  169 

that  could  easily  be  followed,  extended  before  them.  They 
moved  on  again,  after  a  time,  and  at  last  reached  the  end  of 
their  journey  at  a  late  hour  in  the  night. 

On  the  following  morning  the  woman  arose  searly  from 
her  robes  and  waited  impatiently  at  the  door  of  the  lodge 
for  the  appearance  of  the  medicine  man.  He  had  been 
greatly  fatigued  by  his  journey,,  and  his  sleep  was  unbroken 
until  late  in  the  day.  He  got  up  at  last  and  came  out  of 
his  lodge  and  directed  some  food  to  be  brought.  When  he 
had  eaten,  he  turned  to  the  woman  who  stood  waiting  near 
by,  and  quietly  asked: 

"  Did  the  Great  Spirit  whisper  words  in  the  ears  of  Po- 
lone  while  she  slept  ?  " 

"Nay/'  she  answered.  "  Po-lone  heard  no  words  while 
she  slept." 

"Let  the  woman  ask  all  the  people/'  he  said.  "The 
omens  are  good,  but  Me-su-la  knows  not  that  the  Great 
Spirit  is  near." 

She  hastened  away  and  questioned  the  squaws  if  either 
had  dreamed  in  the  night.  They  smiled  at  her  earnestness, 
and  shook  their  heads  in  reply.  She  searched  then  for  the 
peons,  but  they  had  all  gone  with  the  herds  to  the  pastures, 
and  no  one  could  tell  where  they  could  be  found.  Poor 
Che-no  sat  near  to  the  ground  and  hung  down  his  head  in 
despair,  because  he  was  the  last  to  be  questioned. 

"  Did  Che-no  hear  words  while  he  slept  ?  "  she  asked  him 
at  length. 

"Yea,  Che-no  heard  words/'  he  replied  with  great  earn- 
estness. "  They  fell  in  his  ears  while  he  slept." 

"Come,  quick!"  she  exclaimed,  and  seizing  the  aston- 
ished dwarf  by  the  arm,  she  raised  him  to  his  feet  and  hur- 
hied  him  along  towards  the  ho-gan. 

"The  peon  heard  words  while  he  slept,"  she  exclaimed, 
as  she  pushed  him  before  her  into  the  lodge. 


170  KAH-^TEE-TA. 

"And  what  were  the  words  the  peon  has  heard?"  asked 
the  medicins  man  gravely,  without  raising  his  head. 

Poor  Che-no  could  find  no  words  to  reply.  He  gazed  anx- 
iously about  him,  and  trembled  with  fear.  But  the  terrible 
things  he  had  expected  to  see  in  the  lodge  of  the  medicine 
man  had  all  gone  away,  and  gathering  courage  at  last,  he 
replied: 

"  Che-no  walked  in  the  snow  while  he  slept,  and  his  feet 
were  numb  with  cold." 

The  medicine  man  kept  his  eyes  on  the  ground  for  a  time 
apparently  absorbed  in  his  thoughts.  At  last  he  raised  his 
head  slowly,  and  gazing  fixedly  at  the  dwarf,  said  sharply, 

"  The  peon  may  go." 

Poor  Che-no,  more  frightened  than  ever,  sprang  through 
the  door  of  the  lodge  and  hastened  away. 

"The  peon  has  but  half  of  a  head,"  said  the  woman, 
looking  out  of  the  door  at  the  retreating  form  of  the 
dwarf. 

"Yea,"  said  Me-su-la,  "the  woman  must  wait  for  some 
better  words  to  show  that  the  Great  Spirit  is  near." 

"Nay,  nay,"  she  replied,  "the  peon  speaks  true.  He 
has  but  one  tongue  in  his  head,  and  his  words  have  never 
been  wrong." 

"Then  Me-su-la  will  go  to  the  mountain,"  he  said,  "and 
when  the  Great  Spirit  has  spoken,  he  will  come  back  to  his 
ho-gan  again." 

When  the  woman  came  out  of  the  lodge  a  squaw  led  a 
horse  to  the  door,  and  assisted  her  master  to  mount,  and 
then  followed  after  him  on  foot,  as  he  rode  slowly  away  up 
the  side  of  the  mountain. 

He  came  back  at  last  looking  wearied  and  sad,  and  enter- 
ing his  lodge  lay  down  on  his  robes. 

"  The  woman  may  go  to  the  door,"  said  the  squaw,  "  to  hear 
the  words  that  Me-su-la  has  brought  from  the  mountain." 


NAH-:NTEE-TA.  171 

Po-lone  hastened  at  once  to  the  lodge  and  stood  in  the 
door,  impatient  to  hear  the  words  he  had  brought. 

"The  woman  has  come  for  her  answer/'  he  said  as  he 
raised  himself  up  on  his  robes.  "Me-su-la  can  speak,  but 
he  knows  not  that  the  Great  Spirit  is  near.  The  words  in 
his  mouth  may  be  bad."  Then  after  a  pause  he  continued. 
"  The  girl  may  go  to  the  chief.  Me-su-la  has  spoken.  The 
woman  may  go/' 

Po-lone  turned  slowly  away,  ill  satisfied  with  the  words 
she  had  heard.  The  object  she  sought  had  been  gained, 
but  the  pleasure  she  hoped  for  was  obscured  by  her  fears. 
She  had  sold  the  girl  to  the  chief,  confidently  believing  that 
by  the  gift  of  a  horse,  she  would  be  able  to  influence  the  use 
of  the  most  powerful  means  in  her  favor,  and  would  secure 
a  full  approval  of  her  course.  The  means  had  doubtless 
been  used,  but  they  had  signally  failed  to  secure  the  strong 
assurance  she  had  desired.  She  had  been  taught  from  her 
youth  to  rely  upon  these  means  for  counsel  and  guidance, 
in  all  the  affairs  of  her  life.  The  Great  Spirit,  she  believed, 
would  visit  with  terrible  disaster  those  who  asked  for  his 
guidance,  if  they  failed  to  obey.  Strong  as  was  her  desire 
to  accomplish  her  purpose,  her  faith  and  her  fears  would 
have  compelled  her  to  submit  to  the  result  of  her  final  appeal. 
But  what  that  result  had  been,  she  could  only  conjecture. 
The  manner  as  well  as  the  words  of  the  medicine  man 
had  awakened  her  fears.  Once  before  he  had  spoken, 
but  his  words  then  were  strong.  He  had  spoken  again,  but 
his  words  now  were  weak.  At  first  he  said,  the  girl  must  go 
to  To-me,  but  now,  she  might  go  to  the  chief.  At  first  or 
at  last,  the  medicine  was  bad,  and  evil  lay  in  one  or  the 
other. 

She  reached  her  encampment  at  length,  and  directed  the 
dwarf  to  make  ready  to  ride.  When  all  was  prepared,  she 
mounted  her  horse  and  rode  slowly  away,  following  the  trail 


172  NAH-STEE-TA. 

to  the  South.  Absorbed  in  her  thoughts  she  rode  quietly 
on,  without  uttering  a  word,  or  looking  about  her.  Nah- 
nee-ta  rode  close  by  her  side,  awaiting  with  patience  some 
sign  that  might  foreshadow  her  fate,  and  Che-no,  the  dwarf, 
followed  listlessly  after,  more  asleep  than  awake.  The 
animals  moved  slowly  along,  almost  as  they  pleased,  and 
cropped  at  the  grass  as  they  went. 

Several  miles  were  accomplished  in  this  tedious  way,  and 
the  caravan  slowly  approached  the  great  forest  that  bordered 
the  valley  on  the  Bast.  It  had  scarcely  arrived  at  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  when  two  Apache  warriors  sprang  suddenly 
out  from  the  cover  of  bushes  that  grew  near  the  trail,  and 
yelling  like  demons  and  waving  their  blankets,  ran  quickly 
into  the  midst  of  the  herd.  The  horses  took  fright  in  an 
instant,  and  reared  back  on  their  haunches  in  terror,  and 
then  plunged  madly  about  to  escape. 

At  the  first  appearance  of  the  Apaches  the  woman  gave 
up  in  despair.  Aroused  suddenly  from  her  gloomy  medita- 
tions, she  saw  the  evil  she  dreaded  already  upon  her.  Para- 
lized  completely  and  bewildered  by  fear,  she  made  no  at- 
tempt to  control  her  frightened  horse,  or  to  effect  her  escape. 
Recovering  directly  her  presence  of  mind,  she  seized  on  the 
mane  of  the  horse  and  held  fast  for  awhile.  The  terrified 
animal,  frantic  with  fear,  plunged  madly  about  and  threw 
her  at  last  to  the  ground.  Springing  at  once  to  her  feet  she 
ran  quickly  among  the  bushes  at  the  side  of  the  trail,  and 
under  their  cover  escaped  to  the  forest  above.  Concealed 
by  the  trees,  she  climbed  up  the  side  of  the  mountain  until 
at  last  she  was  safe  from  pursuit. 

In  the  meantime  .Nah-nee-ta  held  fast  to  her  horse  and 
was  carried  far  out  in  the  valley.  Then  gathering  the  reins 
in  her  hands  she  obtained  some  control  of  the  animal,  and 
bid  fair  for  awhile  to  escape.  But  just  as  her  hopes  were 


NAH-NEE-TA.  173 

beginning  to  dawn,  the  creature  sprang  suddenly  aside  and 
threw  her  with  violence  to  the  ground. 

So  soon  as  the  Apaches  had  accomplished  their  immediate 
purpose  and  frightened  the  animals  heyonil  all  control,  they 
hastened  to  capture  the  dwarf.  One  arrow  after  another 
in  rapid  succession  whizzed  past  his  head,  and  at  last  one 
struck  in  the  side  of  his  horse.  The  poor  frightened  beast 
struggled  forward  as  though  it  would  fall,  but  recovering 
again  it  ran  quickly  away  down  the  valley  and  into  the 
wood.  It  appeared  soon  again  in  the  open,  but  its  rider  had 
escaped  and  was  gone. 

Nah-nee-ta  was  bruised  by  her  fall,  and  unable  at  first  to 
rise  from  the  ground.  She  struggled  at  last  to  her  feet  and 
hastened  to  escape  to  the  woods.  The  Apaches  perceiving 
her  purpose,  ran  quickly  in  pursuit  and  soon  overtook  her 
and  compelled  her  to  stop. 

One  of  her  captors  then  remained  near  her  to  prevent  her 
escape,  and  the  other,  with  lasso  in  hand,  hurried  after  the 
horses.  The  animals  had  partially  recovered  from  their 
fright  and  were  wandering  slowly  about  in  the  valley. 
Quietly  approaching  the  horse  that  appeared  least  alarmed 
at  his  presence,  he  cast  his  rope  dexterously  over  its  head. 
Springing  at  once  upon  its  back  he  rode  after  the  others 
and  attempted  to  drive  them  before  him. 

In  the  meantime  some  peons  attracted  by  the  noise  left 
their  herds  in  the  mountain  and  rode  into  view  far  above  in 
the  valley.  The  quick  eye  of  the  savage  caught  sight  of  the 
peons  as  they  emerged  from  the  forest,  and  fearing  they 
were  warriors  on  their  way  back  to  their  homes  from  the 
council,  he  abandoned  his  purpose  and  rode  quickly  away  to 
join  his  companion.  The  two  held  a  hurried  consultation 
and  decided  upon  immediate  flight.  Taking  the  captive  up 
behind  him,  the  mounted  Apache  galloped  away  down  the 
valley,  closely  followed  by  his  companion  on  foot. 


XIII. 

Poor  Che-no  was  first  to  come  down  from  the  mountain 
when  the  Apaches  were  gone.  Slowly  emerging  from  the 
cover  of  the  forest,  he  fell  on  his  knees  and  crawled  stealth- 
ily out  to  the  thicket  that  grew  near  the  trail. 

Noiselessly  parting  the  bushes  before  him,  he  pushed  out 
his  head  and  gazed  down  the  valley  in  the  direction  the 
Apaches  had  fled.  They  had  gone  out  of  sight,  and  the 
valley  lay  quiet  and  peaceful  before  him.  The  horses  had 
gathered  together  and  were  leisurely  moving  about  cropping 
the  grass  as  they  went. 

The  peon  drew  out  of  the  bushes  at  last  and  slowly  raised 
himself  up  on  his  feet.  He  stood  undecided  for  a  while  and 
then  as  his  courage  increased  moved  farther  out  in  the  val- 
ley, halting  again  and  again  as  he  went,  and  gazing  fur- 
tively back  at  the  bushes  to  see  that  his  way  of  escape  was 
preserved. 

Approaching  the  herd,  he  succeeded  in  catching  a  horse, 
and  springing  at  once  on  its  back,  gave  way  to  his  joy  in  a 
shout.  The  Apaches  may  come  again  if  they  choose,  for 
Che-no,  no  longer  asleep,  had  now  the  control  of  means  of 
escape.  His  shout  was  soon  answered  by  a  cry  from  the 
mountain,  and  shortly  thereafter  the  woman  appeared, 
cautiously  emerging  from  the  forest. 

The  dwarf  had  been  completely  absorbed  in  his  efforts  to 
accomplish  his  own  personal  safety,  and  had  quite  entirely 
forgotten  the  terrible  calamity  that  had  befallen  his  mistress. 
The  appearance  of  the  woman  recalled  to  his  mind  the 
dreadful  disaster,  and  quickly  converted  his  joy  into  grief. 
He  bowed  down  his  head  with  remorse  that  he  had  proven 


XAH-NEE-TA.  175 

so  useless  in  the  time  of  her  need,  and  rode  slowly  forward  to 
meet  her. 

"  The  Apaches  came  quick,"  he  said,  with  emotion,  while 
he  averted  his  face,  "and  Che-no  did  all  that  he  could. " 

"  Yea,"  said  the  woman,  ' '  Che-no  did  well.  Let  him 
go  to  the  herd  and  bring  a  horse  for  Po-lone." 

The  dwarf  hastened  away  much  pleased  at*  the  kind  words 
of  his  mistress,  but  greatly  surprised  at  the  calmness  she 
displayed.  Her  eyes  burned  with  an  unnatural  brightness, 
and  traces  of  weeping  remained,  but  her  manner  gave  110  in- 
dication of  the  anguish  and  rage  she  suppressed.  The  peon 
soon  returned  with  the  horse  she  was  accustomed  to  ride? 
and  when  she  had  mounted  he  followed  her  out  in  the  valley 
again.  He  kept  his  face  constantly  turned  to  the  south  in 
the  direction  the  Apaches  had  fled,  while  the  woman  slowly 
looked  over  the  herd  and  deliberately  counted  the  horses  to 
see  how  many  were  gone. 

"It.  is  strange,"  she  exclaimed  when  she  had  finished  the 
count,  "but  two  of  the  horses  are  gone." 

"One  of  the  horses  lies  dead  in  the  edge  of  the  woods," 
said  the  dwarf.  "  He  was  shot  in  the  side  with  ,an  arrow/' 

"The  Apaches  are  cowards  and  dogs,"  murmured  the 
woman,  "  and  something  has  scared  them  away." 

"Eh  !  "  exclaimed  the  dwarf,  catching  part  of  her  words, 
and  glancing  uneasily  around  as  he  spoke.  "The  Apaches? 
Where  are  they?" 

"Hist!  "cried  the  woman.  "What  comes  from  the 
north?" 

The  dwarf  turned  quickly  about  and  gazed  up  the  valley. 
One  view  was  enough  to  confirm  his  worst  fears.  Four 
mounted  men  were  in  sight,  galloping  rapidly  towards 
them. 

"Apaches  !"  he  shouted,  and  digging  his  heels  in  the  side 
of  his  horse,  and  lashing  him  hard  with  the  end  of  a  rope, 


176  STAH-KEE-TA. 

he  forced  the  animal  over  the  valley  at  the  top  of  its  speed. 
As  he  drew  near  the  bushes  under  which  he  had  found  con- 
cealment before,  he  reined  in  his  horse  and  sprang  from  its 
back,  and  secreted  himself  quickly  again.  He  held  fast  in 
his  hand  one  end  of  a  long  lariat,  attached  to  the  neck  of 
the  horse,  and  carried  it  with  him  to  the  place  where  he  hid. 
Kecovering  at  length  somewhat  from  his  fears,  he  pushed 
out  his  head  and  gazed  wildly  about.  To  his  utter  amazement, 
a  horse  stood  bridled  and  saddled  before  him,  held  fast  by 
a  rope  in  his  hand.  Some  moments  elapsed  before  his  poor 
wits  could  recall  that  the  horse  was  his  own.  He  remembered 
at  last,  and  bounding  out  quickly  from  his  place  of  conceal- 
ment, sprang  once  more  on  its  back  and  again  darted  head- 
long over  the  valley.  This  time  he  rode  straight  for  the 
forest,  and  directly  disappeared  under  cover  of  the  trees. 
He  halted  at  last,  and  turning  quickly  about  peered  anx- 
iously out  in  the  valley. 

Perplexed  beyond  measure  he  could  scarcely  believe  what 
he  saw.  Some  evil  agency  he  feared  had  enchanted  his  eyes, 
and  caused  him  to  see  what  could  not  possibly  occur.  He 
moved  nearer  to  the  edge  of  the  wood  where  the  view  was 
less  interrupted,  and  looked  out  again.  The  same  doubtful 
vision  once  more  met  his  gaze,  but  with  greater  distinctness 
than  before.  The  four  mounted  men  from  whom  he  had 
fled,  had  arrived  at  the  spot  where  he  had  abandoned  his 
mistress,  and  were  peaceably  gathered  about  her.  They 
were  certainly  not  the  dreaded  Apaches,  if  the  vision  was 
true,  but  rather  some  friends  of  the  woman  who  had  come 
to  help.  But  his  fears  had  enthralled  him,  and  he  looked 
doujbtingly  on,  expecting  each  moment  some  direful  change 
to  occur  in  the  scene.  In  the  meantime  his  horse  grew  im- 
patient to  return  to  the  herd,  and  moved  forward  whenever 
his  master  gave  way  on  the  rein.  Little  by  little  the  horse 


KAH-]STEE-TA.  177 

moved  along,  gaining  a  few  steps  at  a  time,  until  in  the  end 
he  carried  his  master  well  out  of  the  wood. 

When  the  dwarf  came  into  view  from  the  valley,  the  wo- 
man rode  forward  a  short  distance  towards  him  and  shouted 
his  name  and  beckoned  him  on  with,  her  hand.  At  the 
sound  of  her  voice  his  fears  were  somewhat  allayed,  and 
after  a  brief  hesitation  he  rode  over  the  valley  to  meet  her. 
As  he  drew  near  where  she  sat  on  her  horse,  he  gazed  for 
awhile  at  the  strangers,  and  then  hung  down  his  head  with 
mortification  and  shame.  They  were  peons  from  the  village 
of  Me-su-la,  and  herders  of  horses  and  sheep.  They  had 
heard  the  shouts  of  the  Apaches,  while  they  tended  their 
flocks  in  the  mountains,  and  fearing  that  some  disaster  had 
happened  to  a  herd  of  their  master,  had  hastened  below  to 
discover  the  cause. 

"The  chief  Mariano  rides  with  his  warriors  from  the  en- 
campments to-day,"  said  the  woman,  addressing  herself  to 
the  peons,  "  and  a  runner  could  meet  him  in  the  great  valley 
below,  and  tell  him  the  words  he  has  heard  from  Po-lone." 

The  peons  remained  silent  while  the  woman  looked  anxi- 
ously in  each  of  their  faces.  At  last  she  turned  slowly  around 
and  looked  at  the  dwarf.  He  was  deficient  in  courage  she 
knew,  but  possibly,  she  thought,  his  fears  would  induce  him 
when  once  well  away,  to  ride  for  his  life  to  reach  the  side  of 
the  chief. 

"The  Apaches  have  gone  to  the  South,"  she  continued, 
"and  the  trail  to  the  great  valley  below  goes  straight  with 
the  sun." 

"Che-no  is  tired,"  he  said  plaintively,  "and  if  he  should 
ride,  Po-lone  would  be  alone  with  the  herd." 

The  woman  bowed  down  her  head  in  despair. 

"Yea,  yea,"  she  murmured,  "the  warriors  speak  true. 
The  peons  are  cowards,  and  fit  only  to  watch  while  the 
horses  eat  grass." 


178  NAH-NEE-TA. 

"Has  the  woman  a  horse  for  the  runner  to  ride  ?"  asked 
one  of  the  peons.  "  Me-su-la  >iight  be  angry  if  ahorse 
from  his  herds  should  be  taken." 

"Yea/'  she  replied,  "the  peon  may  take  the  best  horse 
in  the  herd  of  Po-lone,  and  keep  him  as  a  gift  when  his 
journey  is  done/' 

"Then  Pablo  will  ride/'  said  the  peon.  "Will  the  wo- 
man remain  where  she  is  ?" 

"Nay/'  she  replied,  "Po-lone  will  follow  the  trail  down 
the  valley,  and  ride  for  her  lodge.  The  night  will  soon 
overtake  her,  and  the  darkness  will  hide  her  from  the 
Apaches." 

The  peon  at  once  rode  away  to  the  herd  and  carefully 
looked  at  the  horses.  He  found  one  at  last  that  suited  his 
purpose,  and  casting  a  lasso  over  its  head,  led  it  out  from 
the  herd.  Placing  his  saddle  and  bridle  upon  it,  he  sprang 
on  its  back,  and  waving  his  hand  to  his  comrades,  rode 
rapidly  away  to  the  West,  and  soon  passed  out  of  view  in 
the  forest.  So  soon  as  he  was  gone  his  companions  bade 
the  woman  adieu,  and  hastened  to  return  to  their  flocks  in 
the  mountain. 

The  sun  had  already  sunk  low  in  the  West  when  the  wo- 
man resumed  her  sad  journey.  Poor  Che-no  was  nervous 
and  fearful,  and  gave  her  but  little  assistance  in  driving  the 
herd.  The  darkness  at  last  gathered  heavily  about  her 
and  rendered  her  progress  more  difficult  than  before.  But 
she  still  'pressed  forward  undismayed  and  determined,  and 
eventually  arrived  safely  at  her  lodge. 

In  the  meantime  the  Apaches  hastened  on  with  their  cap- 
tive to  join  their  companions,  whom  they  expected  to  find 
somewhere  concealed  in  the  canon.  They  soon  changed 
their  direction  in  following  the  course  of  the  valley,  and 
passed  out  of  view  from  the  point  where  the  attack  had  been 


KAH-NEE-TA.  179 

made.  Halting  here  for  a  while  they  secreted  themselves  in 
the  forest,  and  watched  up  the  valley  for  the  approach  of 
the  horsemen  who  had  frightened  them  away.  They  plainly 
observed  them  as  they  galloped  to  the  spot  where  the  woman 
awaited  their  coming.  They  could  see  her  as  she  moved 
slowly  about,  pointing  with  her  finger  to  the  South,  as 
though  directing  the  pursuit.  They  waited  with  increasing- 
anxiety,  expecting  each  moment  to  see  it  begin.  It  was 
important  to  know  how  many  pursued,  and  the  manner  in 
which  they  would  start.  They  waited  on,  therefore,  until 
they  grew  tired  with  their  long  fruitless  watching. 

"They  are  cowards,"  said  one  of  the  Apaches,  "and 
afraid  to  pursue." 

"Yea,"  replied  the  other.  "  They  are  cowards  and  peons 
as  well.  They  have  come  from  the  flocks  in  the  mountain. 
My  brother  has  fled  from  the  herders  of  sheep." 

"  They  are  not  far  away,"  said  his  companion  suggestively.. 
"My  brother  can  quickly  return  where  they  are." 

"Nay,  nay,"  he  replied.  "A  warrior  never  fights  with  a 
peon.  Let  them  stay  where  they  are,  and  talk  with  the 
woman." 

The  Apaches,  no  longer  apprehensive  of  pursuit,  drew 
leisurely  out  of  the  wood,  and  slowly  moved  on  down  the 
valley  again.  Falling  soon  in  the  trail  over  which  To-me 
and  his  warriors  had  ridden  a  short  time  before,  they 
followed  it  on  until  late  in  the  night,  riding  and  walking 
alternately,  as  one  or  the  other  grew  tired.  They  halted 
at  last  about  midnight,  and  talked  for  awhile  in  low  tones 
with  each  other  concerning  the  course  they  should  take  for 
the  caiion. 

"The  trail  goes  slowly  away  to  the  East,"  said  one  of  the 
Apaches,  "and  the  canon  lays  more  to  the  \fest." 

"Yea,"  said  the  other.  "The  trail  leads  to  the  village 
where  the  warriors  have  gone  who  rode  down  it  to-day." 


180  KAH-KEE-TA. 

At  last  they  decided  to  abandon  the  trail  and  cross  over 
the  mountain  on  the  East  of  the  valley.  It  was  well  for 
them  indeed  that  they  adopted  this  course.  A  mile  or  two 
further  beyond,  the  valiant  To-me  and  his  warriors  lay  close 
by  the  path  with  vigilant  sentinels  around  them.  The 
heavy  tramps  of  the  horse  on  the  hard  beaten  trail,  would 
have  speedily  betrayed  the  Apaches  and  cost  them  their 
lives. 

Turning  abruptly  away  from  the  path,  they  moved  over 
the  valley  and  directly  began  the  ascent  of  the  mountain. 
Climbing  slowly  along  from  one  difficult  point  to  another, 
they  gradually  accomplished  the  ascent  to  the  summit. 
From  this  great  elevation  they  could  plainly  distinguish  the 
course  of  the  canon  by  a  dark  narrow  line  extending  some 
distance  to  the  right  and  left,  not  far  from  the  foot  of  the 
mountain.  Changing  their  course  now  more  to  the  South, 
they  immediately  began  the  descent. 

Great  masses  of  rock  of  irregular  shape  lay  dispersed  all 
about  them  upon  the  face  of  the  mountain.  Some  evil 
agency  that  existed  within  had  forced  them  out  thus, 
through  the  earth,  from  the  heart  of  the  mountain.  They 
were  broken  and  cracked  and  full  of  great  fissures,  where 
things  that  were  evil  made  their  abode. 

The  Apaches  moved  quickly  along,  winding  tortuously 
about  in  their  efforts  to  avoid  these  places  of  danger.  They 
halted  at  length,  and  made  their  captive  dismount  from  the 
horse.  Then  fastening  the  ends  of  a  buckskin  lariat  to  the 
saddle  they  bound  the  other  tightly  about  her.  When  this 
was  accomplished,  the  warriors  both  mounted  the  horse  and 
once  more  continued  their  journey. 

The  Apaches  were  frightened,  and  had  hastened  to  take 
refuge  on  the  back  of  the  horse,  where  they  had  been  taught 
to  believe  the  power  to  harm  them  would  be  seldom  em- 
ployed. 


KAH-NEE-TA.  181 

The  captive  followed  after  in  silence  well  pleased  with  the 
change,  and  hopeful  that  now  she  might  make  her  escape. 
She  attempted  at  last  to  untie  the  hard  knots  of  the  rope 
with  which  she  was  bound.  She  had  scarcely  begun  when 
she  was  jerked  to  the  ground,  and  dragged  roughly  along 
for  awhile,  before  she  could  recover  her  feet. 

"Hist  I"  cried  one  of  her  captors  in  a  voice  full  of  anger, 
and  seizing  again  on  the  rope  as  he  spake,  he  jerked  her 
once  more  to  the  ground.  She  struggled  again  to  her  feet 
and  walked  quietly  on  as  though  she  had  abandoned  all 
hope  of  escape.  She  feigned  well  her  submission,  and  after 
a  time  was  less  rigidly  watched  than  before.  Stooping 
quickly  to  the  ground,  as  she  hurried  along,  she  gathered  a 
small  stone  in  her  hand.  Stooping  quickly  again  she  picked 
up  another  without  being  seen.  Then  drawing  a  loop  of  the 
rope  under  the  folds  of  her  blanket,  she  attempted  to  wear 
it  in  two  between  the  stones  in  her  hand. 

In  the  meantime  the  Apaches  had  arrived  at  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  and  were  nearing  the  edge  of  the  mesa.  As 
they  moved  quickly  on  they  caught  a  glimpse,  now  and  then, 
through  the  thick  undergrowth,  of  the  great  open  region 
beyond.  They  halted  abruptly  at  last,  on  the  edge  of  the 
plain,  appalled  by  the  danger  before  them.  Great  masses  of 
rock,  in  fantastic  disorder,  had  suddenly  presented  them- 
selves in  their  way.  To  the  right  and  the  left,  the  thick 
undergrowth  presented  a  change  of  direction.  Before  them 
a  single  opening  in  the  midst  of  the  rocks,  presented  the 
only  means  of  escape. 

They  ventured  at  length,  and  lashing  the  horse  almost  to 
a  run,  dashed  into  the  opening.  The  ground  trembled 
beneath  the  feet  of  the  horse  and  gave  back  a  hollow  res- 
ponse to  the  tread  of  its  feet.  It  had  nearly  got  through 
when  it  suddenly  sunk  to  its  knees  in  the  earth.  The 


182 

terrified  animal  sprang  forward  with  a  desperate  plunge  and 
barely  escaped  going  down  with  a  great  mass  of  earth,  that 
had  sunk  into  some  cavernous  depth  underneath. 

As  the  Apaches  came  near  to  the  opening  between  the 
great  rocks  Nah-nee-ta  perceived  that  the  time  to  attempt 
her  escape  had  arrived.  Unobserved  by  her  captors  she 
drew  out  the  loop  of  the  rope  she  had  carried  concealed  in 
the  folds  of  her  blanket,  and  attempted  to  break  it.  But 
the  few  strands  that  remained  unabraided  were  unusually 
strong,  and  resisted  her  utmost  endeavor. 

While  she  continued  her  efforts  to  sever  the  rope  she  was 
drawn  rapidly  forward  into  the  opening.  Rendered  desperate 
now  by  her  failure  to  effect  her  release,  she  threw  herself 
backward  and  pulled  on  the  rope  with  all  of  her  strength. 
She  was  jerked  instantly  forward  with  tremendous  force  and 
barely  succeeded  in  keeping  her  feet. 

On  the  way  down  the  mountain  she  had  repeatedly 
attempted  to  unloosen  the  hard  knots  of  the  rope"  under  the 
cover  her  blanket  afforded.  She  now  nervously  tried  these 
again.  They  were  harder  and  firmer  than  ever,  and  a  few 
brief  trials  convinced  her  that  her  efforts  were  useless.  In 
utter  despair  she  dropped  her  hands  by  her  side,  and  sub- 
missively followed  her  captors. 

She  ran  rapidly  forward  with  her  eyes  on  the  ground, 
selecting  her  steps  as  well  as  she  could,  scarcely  able  the  mean- 
while to  keep  on  her  feet.  A  quick  muffled  cry  from  one  of 
the  Apaches  at  length  attracted  her  attention,  and  raising 
her  head  she  perceived  that  the  horse  was  sinking  down  in 
the  earth;  an  instant  thereafter  she  was  drawn  suddenly 
forward  with  terrible  force,  and  fell  helpless  and  stunned  in 
the  midst  of  the  treacherous  place,  and  sunk  out  of  sight  in 
the  ground. 

The  Apaches  glanced  back  as  they  emerged  from  the  pass 
to  see  what  became  of  their  captive. 


NAH-NEE-TA.  183 

The  lasso  was  broken  and  the  captive  was  gone.  The 
evil  thing  from  the  cavern  had  seized  her  and  carried  her 
away  to  its  home  in  the  heart  of  the  mountain. 

They  halted  at  last,  and  dismounting  from  the  horse  came 
cautiously  back  near  the  rocks  and  pleadingly  called  her, 

"Muchacha  !  muchacha  !  " 

They  called  her  again  "  Muchacha!  muchacha!"  and  begged 
her  to  speak,  if  by  any  good  fortune  their  voices  could  reach 
her.  A  bare  hope  still  remained  in  their  minds  that  the 
lasso  had  broken  before  the  evil  thing  had  opened  the 
ground,  and  that  she  might  have  escaped  to  the  bushes. 
They  pleaded  and  threatened  by  turn  as  a  change  of  their 
humor  occurred,  and  waited  and  listened  in  vain.  No 
response  was  received,  except  the  faint  echo  of  their  own 
doleful  voices  returned  from  the  cavernous  rocks. 

"Hist!"  cried  one  of  the  Apaches,  "something  comes 
over  the  mesa." 

Then  falling  instantly  down  on  his  face  he  placed  his  ear 
near  the  ground,  intently.  He  raised  up  his  head  in  a 
moment  and  gazed  to  the  East. 

"There  is  tramping  of  horses,"  he  said,  "not  far  away  on 
the  mesa." 

Again  placing  his  ear  to  the  ground  he  listened  an  instant, 
and  then  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"The  tramping  comes  nearer/'  he  said,  in  alarm. 
"Bring  the  horse  quick  to  the  bushes." 

And  leading  the  way  he  hastened  to  the  west,  along  the 
edge  of  the  mesa.  Halting  at  last  at  some  distance  from  the 
pass,  he  assisted  his  companion  to  force  the  horse  in  the 
bushes  and  covered  its  head  with  a  blanket  to  prevent  it  from 
neighing.  Then,  crouching  down  by  its  side,  they  awaited 
the  approach  of  the  horses.  They  had  scarcely  effected  their 
concealment  when  a  Navajo  warrior  rode  out  of  the  dark- 


184  NAH-NEE-TA. 

ness  and  passed  slowly  along  a  short  distance  before  them. 
At  th'e  first  sight  of  the  Navajo  one  of  the  Apaches  eagerly 
fixed  a  barbed  arrow  to  the  string  of  his  bow,  and  drew  it 
back  quickly  to  shoot.  But  his  companion  restrained  him, 
and  pointing  to  the  east  said  softly, 

"More  horses  are  coming,  and  the  arrow  of  my  brother 
would  bring  quick  pursuit."  Then  he  added  somewhat  angrily 
"  Would  it  please  him  to  hide  in  the  holes  on  the  side  of  the 
mountain  ?  " 

The  Navajo  horseman  passed  slowly  on  and  had  nearly 
gone  out  of  sight  when  he  suddenly  reined  in  his  horse,  and 
turning  around  sat  silently  waiting  and  watching  about  him- 
In  the  meantime  several  horsemen  followed  quietly  on  and 
passed  near  the  place  where  the  Aapaches  lay  hid  in  the 
bushes.  When  they  reached  their  companion  they  halted, 
and  after  a  brief  consultation,  started  on  slowly  again. 
Changing  their  course  now  abruptly  to  the  left,  they  rode 
out  over  the  mesa  towards  the  great  canon,  and  were  soon 
lost  to  view  in  the  darkness. 

When  they  had  passed  out  of  sight,  the  Apaches  turned  to 
each  other  and  conversed  in  low  tones  for  awhile.  It  was 
evident  to  them  from  what  they  had  seen,  that  the  N~avajo 
warriors  were  now  on  their  way  to  the  canon  to  search  for 
their  brother  Apaches,  and  surprise  them  if  possible  under 
cover  of  the  darkness.  The  party  that  had  passed  them  was 
doubtless  a  small  portion  only  of  the  force  that  was  gather- 
ing to  make  the  attack.  The  danger  that  threatened  was 
great,  and  prompt  action  could  not  be  delated.  Their 
brothers  were  doubtless  well  guarded  by  vigilant  sentinels, 
and  could  not  possibly,  they  believed,  be  completely  sur- 
prised; yet  some  lives  might  be  saved,  or  even  a  victory  as- 
sured by  a  warning  in  time. 

But  their  duty  seemed  first,  they  agreed,  to  follow  their 
enemies  and  endeavor  if  possible  to  discover  without  any 


KAH-NEE-TA.  185 

doubt,  what  their  purpose  might  be.  Springing  at  once  to 
their  feet,  they  led  the  horse  from  the  bushes  and  mounting 
again,  started  out  in  pursuit.  Riding  cautiously  forward, 
they  soon  came  within  hearing  of  the  tramping  of  feet,  and 
then  slowly  moved  on  keeping  well  out  of  sight.  As  they 
came  near  to  the  brow  of  the  mesa,  one  of  the  Apaches  dis- 
mounted and  went  forward  on  foot.  Falling  frequently 
down  on  the  ground  as  he  proceeded,  he  endeavored  to  get 
under  the  darkness,  peering  anxiously  the  meanwhile  before 
him.  He  came  back  at  length  and  hurriedly  approached  his 
companion. 

"They  have  gone  down  a  hard  rocky  trail/ Mie  said r 
quickly,  "and  the  feet  of  the  horses  made  a  great  noise  as 
they  went." 

"It  will  be  easy  to  follow,"  replied  his  companion,  mov- 
ing on  with  the  horse  as  he  spoke. 

"Nay,  wait,"  cried  the  other,  as  he  seized  the  horse  by 
the  bridle.  "The  Navajos,  too,  will  hear  tramping  of  feet, 
if  my  brother  leads  his  horse  down  the  trail." 

"They  will  escape,"  pleaded  the  rider,  impatiently,  "if 
my  brother  delays/' 

"Nay,"  said  the  other,  "get  down  from  the  horse  and 
turn  him  loose  on  the  mesa.  The  pursuit  must  be  silent, 
and  my  brother  must  walk." 

Without  further  remonstrance  the  Apache  dismounted  and 
hastened  to  hobble  the  horse.  Drawing  its  fore  feet  to- 
gether, he  fastened  them  firmly  with  a  small  piece  of  rope, 
and  removing  the  bridle  turned  the  horse  loose  on  the  mesa. 
Thus  fettered,  the  animal  was  securely  confined,  and  would 
scarcely  be  able  to  get  far  away  before  its  masters  could  re. 
turn  to  find  it  again. 

The  horse  turned  quickly  aside  when  it  found  it  was  free, 
and  with  short  labored  steps  tried  hard  to  escape.  Growing 


186  STAH-1TEE-TA. 

weary  at  last  with  its  almost  fruitless  exertion,  it  suddenly 
stopped  and  began  to  nibble  a  dry  tuft  of  grass  that  the 
wind  had  car~iod  out  on  the  mesa.  When  the  Apaches  per- 
ceived that  the  horse  had  ceased  all  its  efforts  to  make  its 
escape,  and  stood  quietly  feeding,  as  though  it  was  familiar 
with  such  cruel  bondage,  they  turned  to  each  other  and 
nodded  heads  to  express  them,  fives  pleased. 

<s  He  made  little  trouble,"  sitid  one  of  the  Apaches.  "He 
has  been  hobbled  before." 

Without  further  delay  they  now  hastened  forward  and 
soon  reached  the  brow  of  the  mesa.  Halting  here  for  a 
moment,  they  gazed  cautiously  over  into  the  dark  canon 
below  and  listened  the  meanwhile  intently.  Not  a  sound 
could  be  heard,  nor  a  moving  thing  seen,  to  reward  their 
precaution.  The  elder  Apache  then  placed  himself  in  ad- 
vance, and  falling  at  once  on  the  ground,  crawled  slowly 
along  down  the  trail.  His  companion  reluctantly  followed 
his"  example,  and  crawled  on  impatiently  behind  him. 

<(  My  brother  goes  slow,"  he  whispered  at  length.  "  Why 
should  he  walk  on  his  knees  ?" 

"Hist  !"  cried  the  other,  stopping  quickly  and  turning 
about.  "  Can  my  brother  see  the  trail  in  the  canon  ?" 

"Nay,"  he  replied,  "the  canon  is  dark.  Not  a  thing 
can  be  seen." 

"Let  him  speak  then  again,"  said  the  elder  quite  sharply, 
"  when  he  knows  that  no  danger  is  hid  where  he  is  not  able 
to  see.  The  trail  comes  from  the  darkness,"  he  continued 
more  kindly,  "and  winds  up  the  great  wall  to  the  ligLt  of 
the  sky.  Sharp  eyes  may  be  watching.  How  many,  who 
knows  ?  Let  my  brother  keep  close  on  the  ground,  or  he 
must  go  on  alone." 

"The  words  of  the  warrior  are  good,"  said  the  other  in  a 
tone  that  betrayed. his  impatience.  "Let  him  go  on  as  he 
pleases.  His  brother  will  follow  and  walk  on  his  knees." 


NAH-NEE-TA.  187 

They  gazed  at  each  other  a  moment  in  silence,  and  then 
slowly  resumed  their  laborious  journey.  A  long  time  was 
consumed  in  descending  the  trail,  before  the  great  darkness 
was  reached.  Then  raising  themselves  by  degrees  to  their 
feet,  they  moved  on  again  with  bodies  half  bent  and  soft 
noiseless  feet,  until  at  last  they  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  trail 
in  the  canon.  They  halted  for  awhile  when  they  found 
themselves  down,  and  listened  for  some  indication  to  guide 
them.  But  the  moaning'bf  the  wind  in  the  trees,  on  the  side 
of  the  mountain  beyond,  drowned  every  other  sound,  if  any 
there  was,  before  it  could  reach  them.  They  moved  on 
directly  again,  and  groping  their  way  in  the  darkness,  dis- 
covered at  length  a  well  defined  path  that  followed  the  course 
of  the  canon. 

Turning  at  once  to  the  east  they  followed  the  path  for 
awhile,  stooping  down  often  as  they  went  slowly  along  to 
feel  with  their  hands  for  the  tracks  of  the  horses.  At  times 
they  succeeded  in  finding  a  track,  but  the  loose  earth  had 
partially  filled  the  impression  and  rendered  it  hard  to  deter- 
mine which  way  the  animals  that  made  it  had  gone,  or 
whether  indeed  the  track  was  a  new  one  or  old.  One  of  the 
Apaches  at  length  sat  down  on  the  ground  and  covered  him- 
self with  his  blanket.  Then  taking  a  little  hard  stone  from 
his  pouch,  he  struck  it  repeatedly  with  the  back  of  his 
knife  until  a  spark  fell  at  last  on  a  small  piece  of  tinder  he 
had  placed  to  receive  it.  The  resinous  touch-wood  ignited 
at  once,  and  burned  slowly  without  making  a  blaze.  The 
Apache  leaned  forward  and  held  the  coal  near  the  ground, 
and  blew  it  almost  to  a  flame  with  his  breath.  It  gave 
a  pale,  feeble  light,  but  revealed  to  his  gaze  with  sufficient 
distinctness  the  shape  of  the  track.  Quickly  pushing  the 
tinder  into  the  ground  to  extinguish  the  fire,  he  threw  hig 
blanket  aside  and  sprang  to  his  feet. 


188  KAH-^BE-TA. 

"They  have  gone  to  the  east/'  he  said  quickly,  "and 
are  not  far  away.  The  sand  is  still  falling  down  in  the  track/' 
Starting  forward  once  more,  they  followed  the  trail  to  the 
East,  feeling  their  way  with  their  feet.  At  times  as  they 
hurried  along  they  stumbled  outside  of  the  path,  but  always 
regained  it  again  after  brief  search  had  been  made.  They 
continued  on  thus  for  a  long,  weary  time,  and  were  beginning 
to  fear  that  their  efforts  to  overtake  the  Navajos  would  be 
useless.  They  halted  at  last,  and  stooping  down  on  the 
trail,  attempted  once  more  to  feel  with  their  hands  for  the 
tracks  of  the  horses.  To  their  utter  surprise,  not  a  track 
could  be  found  They  stood  for  a  moment  undecided  and 
perplexed,  and  then  turned  about  to  search  back  on  the 
trail.  They  had  scarcely  begun,  when  their  attention  was 
suddenly  attracted  by  a  slight  noise  in  the  rocks  some  dis- 
tance away  to  the  right  of  the  trail.  They  stopped  instantly 
and  listened  for  awhile  with  the  hope  that  the  noise  would 
be  repeated  again.  But  the  deep,  constant  moaning  of  the 
wind  in  the  trees  filled  their  ears  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
other  sounds.  They  whispered  together  for  a  moment,  and 
then  cautiously  made  their  way  towards  the  spot  from  which 
the  noise  had  been  heard.  They  had  ascended  some  distance 
from  the  bottom  of  the  canon,  and  had  partially  got  out  of 
the  dense  darkness,  when  they  came  suddenly  in  view  of  the 
Navajo  warriors,  where  they  sat  quietly  waiting  for  the 
return  of  a  scout  who  had  been  sent  on  before. 

The  Navajos  moved  on  directly,  closely  followed  by  the 
skulking  Apaches,  and  took  refuge  at  last  in  a  high-walled 
corral  built  for  the  protection  of  sheep.  When  this  was 
accomplished  the  Apaches  perceived  that  the  Navajos  were 
now  in  position  to  make  the  attack,  when  the  time  they  had 
chosen  should  come.  Stepping  quickly  away,  they  returned 
to  the  trail  in  the  canon,  and  moved  hurriedly  on  to  alarm 
their  companions. 


XIV. 

The  chief  Mariano  walked  proudly  away  from  the  woman's 
encampment  well  pleased  with  the  exchange  he  had  made. 

The  beautiful  girl  he  had  bought  would  bring  joy  to  his 
lodge  with  her  smiles.  She  would  reign  like  a  queen  in  the 
ho-gan  of  the  chief,  and  the  squaws  and  the  peons  should 
serve  her  like  slaves. 

He  was  delighted  and  happy,  and  his  joy  was  at  last  made 
complete  when  he  remembered  that  his  rival,  the  runner 
To-me,  with  all  his  good  looks  and  agreeable  ways,  had  been 
unable  to  compete  in  the  end  for  the  prize,  with  so  illus- 
trious a  warrior  as  himself. 

As  he  approached  his  encampment,  he  was  met  by  a  run- 
ner with  a  message  from  the  head  chief  Barbon-ce-to,  who 
awaited  his  coming  at  the  mouth  of  the  cauon.  He  hurried 
forward  at  once  and  soon  reached  the  place  which  the  run- 
ner had  named.  As  he  came  near  he  was  hailed  by  the 
watchman  who  stood  at  the  entrance,  and  directed  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  great  council  chamber,  whither  the  head  chief 
Barbon-ce-te  had  gone. 

As  he  passed  into  the  entrance,  a  number  of  warriors  who 
had  hurriedly  gathered  attempted  to  follow. 

"  Nay,  nay/'  cried  the  watchman,  springing  down  in  the 
narrow  passage  before  them.  t(  The  chiefs  only  can  enter. 
Barbon-ce-to  has  spoken." 

The  warriors  drew  back  and  stood  in  a  group  near  the 
entrance,  indignant  that  the  great  common  right  to  visit  the 
chamber  when  the  chiefs  were  assembled,  had  now  been  de- 
nied them.  They  conversed  with  each  other  in  low,  angry 
tones,  and  recited  their  grievance  in  forcible  words  to  those 
who  were  gathering  about  them.  They  grew  more  rebellious 

189 


190  KAH-KEE-TA. 

as  the  number  of  their  hearers  increased,  and  at  last  had 
well  nigh  succeeded  in  inducing  the  crowd  to  force  its  way 
to  the  chamber  to  demand  that  the  rights  of  the  people 
should  at  once  be  restored.  At  this  critical  juncture  an  old 
warrior  of  venerable  appearance  separated  himself  from  the 
crowd,  and  climbing  to  the  top  of  a  rock,  held  out  his  hands 
to  express  his  desire  to  speak.  The  people  at  once  became 
quiet,  and  drew  near  the  rock  to  hear  what  the  old  warrior 
would  say, 

"Me-ra?"he  shouted,  at  length.  "Is  the  nation  too 
great  for  my  brothers  ?  Have  they  joined  with  the  Apaches 
and  the  Utes  to  destroy  it  ?  " 

When  he  had  spoken  thes'e  words,  the  old  man  bowed 
his  head  on  his  breast  and  paused  for  awhile,  that  the  people 
might  have  time  to  reflect  on  the  full  meaning  and  force  o* 
the  words  he  had  used.  Then  raising  his  head  he  continued 
his  speech. 

"  My  brothers/'  he  said,  "the  old  warriors  of  the  nation 
are  wise.  They  know  all  the  customs,  and  are  glad  when 
they  see  them  obeyed.  When  they  speak  all  the  people 
must  listen. 

"Me-ra,  my  brothers/'  he  continued,  with  great  anima- 
tion. "When  a  new  chief  of  a  clan  has  been  made,  all  the 
chiefs  meet  together  in  the  great  council  chamber.  It  has 
always  been  thus  in  the  nation.  What  harm  has  been  done? 
Has  not  the  nation  grown  stronger,  because  the  chiefs  are 
at  peace  with  each  other  ?  Who  ever  before  has  spoken  hard 
words  because  the  chiefs  were  alone  ? 

"Me-nar-rah  has  spoken.  Is  there  a  warrior  before  him 
who  can  say  that  his  words  are  not  good  ?  " 

The  old  man  stood  in  his  place  for  awhile,  and  gazed 
down  on  the  crowd  as  though  he  challenged  reply.  But  the 
people  were  silent,  and  no  spokesman  appeared  to  champion 


NAH-NEE-TA.  191 

their  cause.  He  came  down  at  last  from  the  rocks,  and 
walked  slowly  away  from  the  crowd.  As  soon  as  he  had 
gone  the  warriors  began  to  disperse,  and  when  he  halted 
some  distance  away  to  look  back  at  the  crowd,  they  had  all 
disappeared.  Not  one  of  the  loud  talking  braves  had  re- 
mained to  assert  that  his  rights  had  been  lost,  and  to  de- 
mand that  they  should  be  restored. 

"  They  are  fools,"  said  the  old  man,  disdainfully.  "They 
are  mad  when  unable  to  do  as  they  please,  and  madder  than 
ever  when  nothing  prevents.  They  deserve  to  be  peons  and 
watch  the  sheep  with  the  squaws." 

He  walked  on  again  in  a  moment,  busying  himself  as  he- 
went,  with  thoughts  of  the  men  and  the  times  of  his  youth. 

"Ah  me,"  he  exclaimed  with  a  sigh.  "The  people  and 
customs  grow  bad.  When  Me-nar-rah  was  young  they  were 
good.  The  warriors  were  braver  and  stronger  than 
now.  The  chiefs  were  the  bravest  and  strongest  of  all. 
One  chief  in  those  days,"  he  continued,  "could  have  scat- 
tered the  cowards  that  talked  of  their  rights  at  the  mouth  of 
the  canon,  like  the  wind  scatters  the  leaves.  Ah  me,  what 
a  change.  Me-nar-rah  is  glad  he  is  old." 

He  cast  his  eyes  on  the  ground  and  shook  his  head  sadly 
like  one  in  distress.  But  his  humor  soon  changed  when  he 
joined  with  the  crowd,  and  witnessed  some  tests  of  endurance 
and  skill.  He  clapped  his  hands  loudly,  and  assured  those 
about  him  who  were  willing  to  hear,  that  such  wonderful 
things  had  never  been  accomplished  before. 

In  the  meantime  Mariano  passed  on  to  the  great  council 
chamber,  where  he  found  all  the  chiefs  of  the  clans  already 
assembled  in  ;  council.  When  he  entered,  the  head  chief 
arose  from  his  seat  and  bade  him  welcome  once  more  to  his 
place  in  the  chamber.  Mariano  stepped  forward  to  take  hi& 
seat  in  the  circle,  when  the  deep,  solemn  voice  of  the  head 
chief  bade  him  stop  where  he  stood. 


192  XAH-NF.E-TA. 

"The  chiefs  have  a  question  to  ask  of  my  brother,"  he 
said,  gravely.  "Let  him  answer  in  peace.  Can  he  keep 
his  own  secrets  ?  Can  he  forever  conceal  the  words  which 
a  brother  has  spoken  ?" 

The  young  chief  was  much  grieved  that  such  questions 
ghould  be  asked  him,  and  he  slowly  replied  in  a  tone  very 
iormal  and  bitter. 

"  Yea,  Mariano  is  a  chief  and  a  warrior.  His  tongue  is 
not  loose  like  a  squaw's/' 

"Yet  again,"  said  his  questioner,  "Mariano must  answer. 
The  eyes  of  the  chiefs  are  upon  him.  Could  the  water,  or 
fire  draw  words  from  his  mouth,  that  a  brother  had  spoken 
in  secret?" 

"  Nay,  nay,"  he  replied,  with  much  indignation.  "  The 
head  chief  alone  can  ask  such  a  question.  Mariano  is  weary, 
his  ears  burn  with  shame." 

"  Once  more,"  persisted  the  chief.  "One*  more  must 
he  answer.  Could  the  spirits  of  evil,  or  the  torture  of  knife 
or  of  arrow,  draw  words  from  the  mouth  of  Mariano,  which  a 
brother  had  spoken  in  secret?" 

"Nay,"  he  replied,  fiercely.  "Why  should  Mariano  be 
asked  such  questions  as  these?  Is  there  a  chief  in  the 
nation  who  doubts  him  ?  Let  him  speak  if  there  is." 

"It  is  well,"  said  the  head  chief,  impressively,  addressing 
himself  to  the  chiefs.  "The  answers  which  Mariano  has 
made  are  all  good.  Do  my  brothers  agree  that  the  secret 
may  safely  be  given  ?  " 

The  chiefs  nodded  their  heads  and  grunted  their  assent. 

"'Mariano,  my  brother."  Barbon-ce-to  continued,  "the 
chiefs  have  a  secret.  It  has  been  kept  since  the  nation  be- 
gan. To  divulge  it  is  death;  to  keep  it  is  strength.  My 
brother  will  listen." 

Then  calling  before  him  three  chiefs  of  the  clans,  he 
briefly  addressed  them. 


A.  193 

"  My  brothers/'  he  said,  "the  head  chief  will  make  known 
the  great  secret  to  the  chief  Mariano.  He  is  worthy  and 
true.  But  should  he  forget,  and  reveal  the  great  secret, 
what  then?" 

"  Thy  brothers  will  kill  him/'  they  cried  with  feigned 
fierceness.  "  Yea,  kill  him  at  once,  like  a  dog." 

"It  is  well/'  said  the  chief.  "  But  if  my  brothers  should 
fail/' 

"Then,"  they  replied,  "all  the  horses  and  the  flocks  of 
thy  brothers  shall  belong  to  the  head  chief  of  the  nation." 

"And  then?  "asked  the  speaker,  looking  enquiringly, 
as  he  spoke,  at  the  circle  of  chiefs. 

"And  then,"  they  replied,  springing  at  once  to  their  feet, 
"the  head  chief  shall  lead,  until  the  secret  is  safely  returned 
to  the  chiefs." 

"Yea,  yea,"  said  the  chief,  " Barbon-ce-to  will  lead. 
The  secret  must  never  be  lost,  or  the  nation  will  die.  The 
head  chief  alone  may  disclose  it,  in  the  great  council  cham- 
ber. None  other  than  a  chief  can  hear  it  and  live." 

"  If  the  great  secret  were  known  to  the  people,"  he  con- 
tinued, "the  winds  would  soon  bear  it  far  away  to  the 
north,  and  the  Utes,  and  the  men  with  white  faces  would 
come.  It  would  ride  on  the  storms  to  the  west  and  the  east 
and  the  Mexicans  would  come.  The  young  men  of  the 
nation  would  be  wasted  in  war.  Let  my  brothers  keep  the 
great  secret  that  the  nation  may  live." 

When  Barbon-ce-to  had  finished,  the  chiefs  all  returned 
to  their  seats,  and  Mariano  was  left  standing  alone. 

"  My  brother  has  listened  to  the  words  of  the  chiefs," 
Barbon-ce-to  continued,  "and  he  can  speak  now  at  last  for 
himself.  Will  he  hear  the  great  secret,  and  keep  it  for- 
ever?" 

"Yea,"  he  replied,  "Mariano  will  hear  the  great  secret 
and  keep  it  forever." 


194  NAH-HEE-TA. 

"It  is  well/'  said  the  chief,  and  motioning  Mariano  with 
his  hand,  to  a  seat  with  the  chiefs,  he  continued.  "My 
brother;  near  the  top  of  the  wall  in  the  canon  Bo-neet,  an 
opening  can  be  seen  in  the  rock.  It  is  broken  and  rough 
and  as  large  as  a  lodge.  The  wall  hangs  out  above  it,  and 
no  mortal  can  reach  it  from  above  or  below.  This  opening 
goes  into  the  wall,  and  under  the  mesa,  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  beyond.  There  it  comes  out  to  the  top  of  the 
ground,  and  is  covered  with  sticks  and  with  earth  to  con" 
ceal  it. 

"My  brother/'  continued  the  chief,  lowering  his  voice 
almost  to  a  whisper.  "  In  this  opening  great  masses  of 
silver  are  found.  Three  chiefs  must  always  go  together. 
While  one  has  gone  into  the  cavern  the  others  must  watch." 

The  chief  paused  for  a  moment  and  then  added  quickly 

"  The  council  is  ended.  The  chiefs  will  return  with  their 
clans  to  their  lodges  when  the  sun  shines  again  in  the  east. 
Barbon-ce-to  has  spoken." 

The  chiefs  remained  for  some  time  in  the  chamber  after 
the  council  was  ended,  and  conversed  with  each  other  con- 
cerning the  affairs  of  their  clans.  They  retired  at  length* 
one  ofter  the  other,  and  slowly  dispersed  to  their  several  en- 
campments. A  great  portion  of  the  day  had  already  been 
spent  when  the  chiefs  eame  together  in  the  chamber,  and 
when  they  now  slowly  emerged  from  the  mouth  of  the  canon 
the  shadow  of  the  mountain  that  lay  on  the  west,  had  fallen 
again  on  the  plain. 

The  darkness  soon  gathered,  and  at  length  put  an  end  to 
the  contests  and  games,  and  closed  the  last  festival.  The 
people  reluctantly  dispersed  when  the  great  fair  was  ended, 
and  made  their  way  slowly  to  their  several  encampments- 
For  a1  time  they  moved  restlessly  about  from  one  place  to 
another,  gazing  hurriedly  as  they  went  at  the  groups  that 


tfAH-NEE-TA.  195 

were  forming  around  the  camp-fires.  Here  and  there  indi- 
viduals found  friends  whom  they  sought,  or  heard  subjects 
discussed  that  induced  them  to  stop  and  sit  down  in  the 
groups.  They  all  found  their  places  at  length,  and  for  a 
while  talked  together  with  great  animation  of  the  contests 
and  games  of  the  day.  But  as  the  night  wore  away,  their 
voices  died  down  almost  to  mere  murmurs  and  finally  ceased 
altogether.  One  after  the  other,  they  stole  quietly  away 
from  the  groups,  and  retired  at  last  to  their  blankets  and 
robes. 

A  bright,  beautiful  morning  succeeded,  and  the  peons  and 
squaws  made  haste  to  be  ready  for  an  early  departure.  But 
the  indolent  warriors  remained  in  their  robes  as  long  as  they 
could,  and  grumbled  and  scolded  when  they  were  eventu- 
ally' compelled  by  the  noise  to  arise.  They  wandered  about 
then  from  one  clan  to  another,  making  final  arrangements 
for  the  forays  and  journeys  they  had  planned.  The  day  was 
half  gone  before  they  had  bidden  adieu  to  their  friends  and 
were  ready  to  ride.  The  war  chief,  Manu-le-to,  was  the 
first  to  break  up  his  encampment,  and  depart  with  his  clan. 
Then,  one  after  the  other,  the  chiefs  rode  away  with  their 
people  to  the  north  and  the  east,  until  the  last  clan  had 
gone. 

Mariano  had  already  dispatched  his  peons  and  squaws 
with  the  herds  and  had  mounted  his  horse  to  depart,  when 
the  head  -chief,  Barbon-ce-to,  came  riding  towards  him. 
Taking  Mariano  aside  he  briefly  informed  him  of  the  depart- 
ure of  To-me  with  his  warriors,  for  the  pasture  grounds  of 
Me-su-la. 

"It  was  useless/'  he  said,  "that  the  runner  should  go, 
but  Me-su-la  was  urgent  and  full  of  fear  for  his  herds/'' 

Then  again  bidding  Mariano  adieu,  he  rode  hastily  away 
and  followed  after  his  clan. 


196  tfAH-KEE-TA. 

Mariano  sat  still  for  a  moment  after  Barbon-ce-to  had 
gone,  looking  out  on  the  plain  where  the  encampments  had 
been.  The  place  that  so  lately  had  been  covered  with  wild, 
thronging  people,  was  already  deserted  and  silent.  He 
turned  his  horse  quickly  about  and  rode  rapidly  away  to  the 
south,  following  after  his  people,  already  some  distance 
away. 

The  report  of  the  peons  was  highly  improbable,  and  gave 
him  but  little  concern.  The  most  vigilant  warriors  of  his 
clan  had  remained  in  the  south,  while  he  had  ridden  to  the 
council,  and  every  pass  in  the  mountains  and  every  trail  in 
the  valleys,  had  doubtless  been  examined  each  day  during 
his  absence,  by  these  trained  men  of  war.  That  the  peons 
should  be  the  first  to  discover  the  presence  of  an  enemy  was 
simply  absurd.  But  it  annoyed  him  excessively  to  think 
how  persistently  fate  threw  the  runner  To-me  in  his  way. 
It  could  scarcely  be  possible  that  his  rivalry  now  would  be 
other  than  harmless.  But  the  thoughtless  and  hot-headed 
ways  of  the  runner  might  lead  him  to  commit  some  des- 
parate  excess,  and  he  heartily  wished  him  success  in  finding 
the  enemy  he  sought.  He  found  consolation  at  length  in 
the  thought  that  he  soon  would  be  able  to  take  the  girl 
to  his  lodge  and  thus  end  forever  this  persistent  annoy- 
ance. 

He  caught  up  directly  with  the  herds,  and  riding  on  past 
them,  placed  himself  in  advance  of  his  warriors,  and  pushed 
on  ahead  as  rapidly  as  possible,  with  the  purpose  of  making 
his  camp  for  the  night  in  the  canon  Bo-neet.  But  the  dark- 
ness overtook  him  at  length,  several  miles  yet  away  from  the 
canon,  and  compelled  him  to  stop.  He  reined  in  his  horse 
and  sat  waiting  with  his  warriors,  until  the  herds  should  ar- 
rive. The  clatter  of  the  feet  of  a  horse,  galloping  rapidly 
over  the  plain  from  the  mountain  on  the  east,  suddenly  at- 


XAH-NEE-TA.  197 

tracted  his  attention,  and  almost  immediately  after  a 
mounted  peon  rode  out  of  the  darkness  towards  him,  and 
hurriedly  asked  for  the  chief  Mariano. 

"  The  peon  speaks  now  to  Mariano/'  said  the  chief.  "  Let 
him  speak  on." 

"  Pablo  has  come  from  the  woman  Po-lone,"  said  the 
peon,  "  with  a  message  for  the  chief  Mariano." 

"  That  To-me,  the  runner,  is  searching  for  tracks  in  the 
pastures,  by  the  side  of  the  woman,"  said  the  chief,  with 
great  indignation. 

"Pablo  is  a  peon,"  he  replied  with  some  hesitation,  "and 
guards  the  flocks  of  Me-su-la.  He  knows  not  the  runner 
To-me,  nor  the  place  where  he  rides.  The  woman  was  alone 
with  her  herd." 

"Yea,  yea/'  said  the  chief,  with  increasing  impatience, 
"and  sent  the  peon  to  speak  the  evil  words  of  his  master, 
that  the  girl  should  not  come  to  me  lodge  of  Mariano." 

"Pablo  knows  not,"  said  the* peon,  in  doubt  of  the  mean- 
ing of  the  words  of  the  chief.  "  The  woman  has  gone  on 
alone,  and  the  Apaches  have  fled  with  the  girl  to  the  south." 

"  The  Apaches  ! "  cried  the  chief,  in  surprise.  "  Let  the 
peon  speak  quickly  all  the  words  which  the  woman  has 
sent." 

"Two  Apaches  sprang  out  from  the  bushes  on  the  side  of 
the  trail,"  said  the  peon,  "and  frightened  the  herd  of  the 
woman  with  their  yells  and  their  blankets.  The  horses  ran 
madly  about  and  the  woman  and  her  peon  fell  off  and  es- 
caped to  the  mountain.  But  the  girl,  Nah-nee-ta,  fell  hard 
from  her  horse  on  the  ground  and  could  not  escape.  Four 
peons  of  Me-su-la,  who  were  watching  their  flocks  in  the 
mountain  not  far  away,  heard  the  great  noise  and  hurried 
down  in  the  valley.  As  they  came  near,  the  Apaches  ran 
away  with  their  captive.  One  rode  on  a  horse  from  the 


198  tfAH-NEE-TA. 

herd  of  the  woman,  and  the  other  ran  after  on  foot.  The 
woman  bade  Pablo  speak  all  of  these  words  to  the  chief/' 

When  the  peon  had  finished,  Mariano  turned  quickly 
about,  and  calling  several  warriors  by  name,  bade  them  has- 
ten to  join  him,  prepared  fora  long  and  determined  pursuit. 
Then  calling  before  him  one  of  the  principal  men,  he  placed 
him  in  charge  of  the  people  and  herd  -nd  bade  him  move 
near  the  base  of  the  mountain  and  camp  for  the  night. 

In  a  short  time  the  warriors  whom  the  chief  had  selected 
gathered  hurriedly  about  him,  prepared  for  the  pursuit  of 
the  Apaches.  Then  placing  the  peon  in  front  to  pilot  the 
way,  they  set  out  without  a  moment's  delay.  They  moved 
forward  rapidly,  sometimes  urging  their  horses  almost  to  a 
run,  and  soon  reached  the  place  where  the  attack  had  been 
made  on  the  woman. 

The  services  of  the  peon  being  now  no  longer  required,  he 
was  permitted  to  return  to  his  flocks  in  the  mountain.  As 
soon  as  he  was  gone,  Mariano  spread  out  his  warriors  like 
skirmishers  in  line,  and  moved  down  the  valley.  Those 
who  were  most  skillful  in  searching  for  trails,  dismounted 
from  their  horses  and  preceded  their  comrades  on  foot. 
They  moved  rapidly  about  here  and  there,  searching  on  the 
ground  as  well  as  they  could  in  the  darkness,  for  foot-marks 
of  horses  or  men.  But  all  of  their  efforts  proved  useless. 
Not  the  least  trace  of  the  signs  which  they  sought  could  be 
found.  Even  the  foot-marks  which  the  Apaches  had  made, 
when  they  left  the  great  trail  to  cross  over  the  mountain,  es- 
caped them.  Passing  on  down  the  valley  they  came  out  at 
length  on  the  mesa. 

" Hist !  "  cried  a  warrior,  almost  in  a  whisper,  "a  fresh 
trail  of  horses  goes  away  to  the  west,"  and  falling  down  on 
his  knees  as  he  spoke,  he  crawled  slowly  along  on  the 
ground,  carefully  examining  the  trail  he  had  found.  His 


NAH-tfEE-TA.  199 

comrades  on  foot,  gathered  hastily  about  him,  and  stood 
waiting  to  hear  his  decision.  He  sprang  up  at  last  on  his 
feet  and  quickly  exclaimed  :  "A  war  party  trail  !  The 
horses  go  straight  in  one  path." 

As  soon  as  he  had  spoken,  his  comrades  sprang  quickly 
away,  and  with  their  .bodies  half  bent  and  their  heads  near 
the  ground,  followed  rapidly  along  ftn  the  trail.  Sometimes 
two  or  three,  more  eager  than  the  others,  ran  far  ahead  and 
searched  on  the  ground  for  the  path,  to  enable  more  rapid 
pursuit. 

Mariano  rode  after,  well  pleased  with  the  eagerness  his 
warriors  displayed,  and  almost  surprised  at  the  rapid  pro- 
gress they  made.  He  was  now  well  assured  that  the  trail 
had  been  made  by  his  enemies,  and  he  pushed  on  with  the 
hope  that  he  would  be  able  to  overtake  them  before  the 
night  wore  away.  The  two  Apaches  who  had  captured  the 
girl  had  doubtless  gone  out  from  this  party  to  watch  for  the 
coming  of  the  people  from  the  council,  and  to  steal  horses 
from  the  herds  of  Me-su-la.  They  had  already  returned  to 
their  companions,  he  thought,  and  he  would  find  the  poor 
captive  at  last,  bound  and  helpless,  in  the  midst  of  their 
camp. 

The  hours  passed  rapidly  away,  and  the  day  dawned  at 
length  on  the  warriors,  still  pushing  forward  in  eager  pur- 
suit. As  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  fell  across  the  great  plain, 
they  arrived  at  the  brow  of  the  mesa.  Halting  here  for 
awhile  they  gazed  cautiously  down  in  the  dark  canon  below. 
The  wind  for  a'  moment  had  died  entirely  away,  and  its  fit- 
ful moaning  in  the  forest  had  ceased.  The  great  canon  lay 
below. them,  but  faintly  revealed  to  their  view,  and  as  silent 
and  lifeless  as  the  grave. 

The  chief  had  been  greatly  encouraged  at  first  when  the 
light  had  revealed  the  foot-marks  which  the  Apaches  had 


200  tfAH-KEE-TA. 

made  in  the  trail.  Their  peculiarly  shaped  moccasins  had 
left  an  impression  in  the  dust  that  plainly  disclosed  who 
they  were.  They  had  doubtless,,  he  thought,  bound  the  girl 
on  the  horse,  and  had  driven  the  animal  before  them.  But 
the  foot-marks  of  the  Apaches  had  scarcely  been  found 
when  a  horse  was  discovered  hobbled  out  on  the  mesa.  A 
warrior  soon  caught  it  and  led  it  up  to  the  chief. 

"  The  horse  belongs  to  the  herd  of  the  woman/'  said  the 
warrior,  "and  the  Apaches  who  rode  it  are  not  far  away. 
Its  back  is  yet  wet  with  the  sweat." 

"  The  girl  must  have  gone  before  them  on  foot,"  said  the 
chief,  and  v  springing  down  from  his  horse,  he  himself 
searched  along  on  the  trail  for  her  tracks.  Several  warriors 
at  once  joined  with  the  chief,  and  continued  the  search  for 
some  time.  At  last  they  discovered  the  place  where  the 
Apaches  had  dismounted  from  the  horse,  and  carefully  ex- 
amined the  ground.  But  the  tracks  of  the  captive  could 
nowhere  be  found. 

"  They  have  killed  her,"  said  the  chief,  in  despair.  "  Or 
it  may  be,"  he  added  in  a  more  hopeful  tone,  "that  she  has 
made  her  escape.  Nay,  nay,"  he  continued,  after  a  brief 
pause.  "It  could  scarcely  be  so.  They  have  killed  her, 
the  cowards  !  The  Apaches  are  dogs  ! " 

He  stood  quietly  thinking  for  a  moment  and  then  harshly 
exclaimed  :  ' '  Let  the  warriors  make  haste  now  to  follow  the 
trail." 

They  moved  on  at  once  and  soon  began  the  descent  into 
the  canon. .  The  rough,  narrow  trail  wound  tortuously 
about'  on  the  face  of  the  great  rocky  wall,  scarcely  wide 
enough  often  for  the  passage  of  a  single  horse  at  a  time. 
The  difficult  descent  caused  frequent  delays,  and  when  the 
last  warrior  in  the  long  crooked  line  reached  the  bottom,  the 
light  had  fallen  down  in  the  canon  and  revealed  clearly  to 
view  the  foot-prints  of  both  horses  and  men  in  the  sand. 


3TAH-NEE-TA.  201 

The  chief  now  moved  forward  at  the  head  of  his  warriors, 
and  led  the  way  down  the  canon.  He  had  not  ridden  far 
when  he  reined  in  his  horse  and  bending  far  over  looked  in- 
tently for  a  moment  at  the  moccasin  tracks  on  the  trail. 

' e  Me-ra  ! "  cried  a  warrior  who  had  ridden  to  his  side. 
"The  dogs  stopped  here  in  the  night  to  examine  the  trail." 

Springing  down  from  his  horse,,  the  warrior  looked  care- 
fully around  where  the  Apaches  had  sat  in  the  path.  Then, 
pointing  at  length  with  his  finger  on  the  ground,  to  a 
diminutive  bed  of  white  ashes,  he  said,  quickly  : 

' '  The  dogs  struck  a  light.  See  the  ashes  of  the  tinder 
they  used." 

As  he  spoke  he  leaned  forward   and  brushed  the   ashes 
away  with  his  hand.     As  he  did  so,  he  exposed  a  portion  of . 
the  tinder,  half  buried  in  the  sand,  and  yet  unconsumed. 
He  raised  it  up  carefully  and  blew  the  ashes  away  with  his 
breath. 

' '  Me-ra  ! "  he  cried.  s '  The  tinder  yet  burns.  The  dogs 
are  not  far  away." 

"Hist !  "  cried  the  chief.  "Let  the  warriors  make  ready. 
The  Apaches  are  not  far  away." 

He  hastily  drew  an  arrow  from  his  quiver  and  fixed  it  on 
the  string  of  his  bow.  Then,  shaking  his  hunting  knife 
loose  in  its  sheath,  that  it  might  easily  be  withdrawn,  he 
moved  on  again  down  the  canon. 

He  had  gone  on  for  some  time,  expecting  each  moment  to 
see  the  Apaches  spring  out  from  their  concealment  near  the 
trail,  to  offer  him  battle  or  make  an  attempt  to  escape,  when 
he  was  suddenly  startled  by  the  sound  of  a  horse  galloping 
rapidly  towards  him.  Almost  immediately  after,  a  beautiful 
white  horse  came  into  view,  rushing  madly  up  the  canon, 
with  an  arrow  sticking  fast  in  its  side.  The  warriors  looked 
on  in  amazement.  There  was  not  a  white  horse  in  all  the 


202  XAH-NEE-TA. 

herds  of  the  nation,  and  where  this  one  had  come  from  they 
could  not  even  conjecture.  If  by  any  improbable  chance  it 
had  escaped  from  the  herd  of  the  Apaches,  how  came  the 
barbed  arrow  in  its  side  ?  A  few  warriors  rode  hastily  out  from 
the  trail  to  intercept  it,  but  the  chief  peremptorily  ordered 
them  back  to  their  places.  The  horse  ran  on  beyond  them, 
and  then  wheeling  about,  came  once  more  towards  them  and 
forced  its  way  among  the  horses  in  the  line,  as  if  attempting 
to  free  itself  from  the  torturing  weapon  in  its  side.  A 
warrior  at  length  reached  out  his  hand,  and,  withdrawing 
the  arrow,  held  it  up  quickly  with  a  loud  anxious  cry. 

"A  Navajo  arrow!"  he  exclaimed.  "Our  brothers  fight 
somewhere  with  the  dogs/' 

"Move  on  I"  cried  the  chief.     "Let  the  led  horses  go." 

Almost  instantly  thereafter  the  well-known  battle  cry  of 
the  Apaches  broke  the  great  silence,  and  awakened  the  lazy 
echoes  that  slumbered  along  the  great  wall  of  the  canon. 

The  cry  of  the  Apaches  was  answered  directly,  from  the 
same  place  it  seemed,  by  a  cry  much  feebler  in  volume,  but 
bold  and  defiant.  Then  the  lazy  echoes  responded  with  the 
wild  battle  cry  of  the  nation. 

"To-me  the  runner  I"  cried  a  warrior  with  delight.  "He 
yells  like  a  panther.  There  is  hot  work  for  the  dogs  where 
To-me  the  runner  makes  battle." 

The  chief  lashed  his  horse  to  a  run,  and  the  warriors,  at 
once  breaking  from  the  line,  rushed  down  the  canon  pell- 
mell  beside  him. 

Brave  To-me  had  been  sorely  beset.  He  had  gone  out 
from  the  corral  in  the  early  gray  of  the  morning,  leaving  the 
wounded  Ka-nee-no  in  charge  of  the  horses,  and  had  sought 
to  surprise  the  Apaches  in  their  camp.  He  had  found  them 
awake  and  awaiting  his  coming.  They  had  largely  out- 
numbered his  little  command,  and  had  well  nigh  surrounded 


HAH-tfEE-TA.  20$ 

him  before  he  had  discovered  his  danger.  The  darkness 
alone  had  saved  him  from  total  destruction,  and  enabled  his 
escape.  Fighting  his  way  back  to  the  corral,  with  the 
wounded  0-see-to  in  his  arms,  he  had  held  his  assailants  at 
bay  until  now.  With  terrific  yells  they  had  gathered  at  last 
about  the  enclosure,  and  had  already  begun  a  desperate 
assault.  Within  a  brief  time  the  brave  To-me  and  his 
comrades  would  doubtless  have  perished  in  the  unequal  en- 
counter. 

At  this  critical  moment  the  chief  and  his  warriors  swept 
down  the  canon,  and  with  the  wild  battle  cry  that  had  often 
struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  their  foes,  dashed  headlong  in 
the  midst  of  the  Apaches.  Joining  at  once  in  the  cry,  To- 
me and  his  comrades  sprang  out  from  the  corral  and  rushed 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 

The  battle  that  followed  was  most  sharply  contested,  but 
brief.  The  impetuous  charge  of  the  chief  and  his  warriors 
could  not  be  withstood,  and  the  surviving  Apaches,  abandon- 
ing their  herd  and  their  wounded,  fled  away  for  their  lives, 
and  hid  from  their  pursuers  in  the  forest  and  among  the 
rocks  on  the  side  of  the  mountain. 

The  chief  at  length  stopped  the  pursuit  for  the  time,  and 
returned  with  his  warriors  to  the  canon. 

"The  fears  of  the  dogs  made  them  fleet,"  said  the  chief, 
"and  the  young  men  are  weary/' 

To-me' s  little  band  had  suffered  severely.  Himself  and 
one  other  alone  had  escaped  with  their  lives  or  from  wounds. 
0-see-to  had  been  twice  sorely  wounded,  and  poor  Ka-nee-no 
lay  dead  in  the  rocks.  Several  warriors  of  the  chief  had 
been  wounded  or  slain,  and  the  bodies  of  a  number  of 
Apaches  lay  scattered  about  here  and  there  on  the  ground. 

The  chief  and  his  warriors  at  once  went  to  work  to  bind 
up  the  wounds  of  their  comrades,  and  render  such  other 


304  XAH-XEE-TA. 

assistance  as  they  were  able  to  give.  While  thus  engaged, 
the  people  whom  the  chief  had  left  behind  in  the  valley 
where  the  peon  had  found  him,  came  into  view,  moving 
cautiously  along  down  the  trail  through  the  canon.  When 
they  caught  sight  of  their  friends  they  hurried  forward  and 
gathered  hastily  about  them.  The  chief  then  surrendered 
the  care  of  the  wounded  and  dead  into  the  hands  of  his 
people,  and  calling  To-me  to  his  side,  said  kindly, 

"Mariano  rides  now  to  the  south  in  pursuit  of  the  dogs. 
Will  To-me  ride  with  him?" 

"Yea/'  said  the  runner,  " To-me  will  be  glad  to  ride  on 
the  trail  with  the  chief." 

"The  heart  of  Mariano  is  made  glad,"  he  replied,  "by 
the  words  of  To-me.  Let  him  make  ready  to  ride  for  many 
days  on  the  trail." 

A  short  time  was  consumed  by  the  chief  in  selecting  more 
warriors  to  increase  the  {strength  of  his  command,  and  to 
take  the  places  of  those  who  had  been  wounded  or  slain. 
Then  blankets  and  food  were  obtained,  and  the  quivers  re- 
plenished anew.  When  all  of  these  things  were  accomplished, 
the  chief  hastened  away  with  his  warriors  and  soon  dis- 
appeared in  the  forest. 


XV. 

While  the  chief  was  engaged  in  selecting  more  warriors,, 
to  increase  the  strength  of  his  command  and  supply  the 
places  of  those  who  had  been  wounded  or  slain,  he  called  to 
his  side  an  old  warrior  in  whose  fidelity  and  good  judgment 
he  trusted,  and  directed  him  to  proceed  with  all  possible 
haste,  so  soon  as  he  was  gone,  to  make  search  for  the  girl.., 
The  chief  spoke  to  the  old  warrior  in  a  low  indistinct  tone, 
that  those  about  him  might  not  hear  what  he  said. 

"She  may  be  dead/5  said  the  chief,  "or  she  may  have  es- 
caped to  the  mountains,  and  wanders  helpless  and  bewil- 
dered in  search  of  her  people.  Find  her  trail/'  continued 
the  chief  earnestly,  "and  hasten  to  overtake  her  or  find 
where  she  died.  If  Mal-tush-malo  comes  back  to  his  lodge 
with  good  words  in  his  mouth,  he  shall  choose  the  best 
horse  in  the  herd  of  Mariano  for  his  own/5 

"  Mal-tush-malo  has  heard  the  words  of  Mariano/'  re- 
plied the  old  warrior,  turning  his  expressionless  face  to  the 
chief,  "and  they  will  all  be  obeyed/' 

Mariano  had  deemed  it  his  duty  to  accompany  his  war- 
riors in  pursuit  of  the  Apaches.  He  would  gladly  have  sent 
them  under  some  competent  leader  and  remained  the  mean- 
time behind  to  search  for  the  girl.  But  the  place  of  a 
chief  when  his  country  was  invaded,  was  at  the  head  of  hi& 
warriors,  and  the  custom  of  his  people  left  him  no  other 
course  to  pursue.  He  might  possibly  have  violated  the  cus- 
tom in  this  instance  without  blame,  since  the  flight  of  the 
Apaches  had  virtually  ended  the  invasion,  but  such  a  course 
was  involved  in  some  doubt,  which  the  chief  thought  it  best 
to  avoid.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  prepared  for  the 
war  path  with  reluctance. 

205 


306  tfAH-NEE-TA. 

The  presence  of  the  runner  To-me  served  further  to  per- 
plex him.  The  runner  belonged  to  the  clan  of  the  head 
chief,  Barbon-ce-to,  and  his  movements  could  not  well  be  con- 
trolled. If  he  remained,  he  would  soon  learn  of  the  fate  that 
had  befallen  the  girl,  and  would  doubtless  set  out  in  hot  haste, 
and  find  her  at  length  if  she  was  still  alive.  Should  the 
chief  invite  him  to  ride  with  the  warriors  in  pursuit  of  the 
Apaches,  he  would  be  compelled  to  entrust  him  at  times 
with  important  commands,  which  might  bring  him  new  hon- 
ors and  greater  renown. 

The  chief  hated  the  runner  intensely,  and  held  him  a  rival 
for  the  honors  of  war  and  the  homage  of  the  people.  And, 
greater  than  all,  he  jet  held  him  a  rival  for  the  possession  of 
the  girl,  inspired  by  the  hope  that  she  would  eventually  be 
found.  He  selected  at  last  what  appeared  at  the  time  the 
less  evil  of  the  two,  and  hastened  to  invite  him  to  ride  in 
pursuit  of  the  Apaches. 

As  soon  as  the  chief  and  his  followers  had  gone,  prepara- 
tions were  made  to  remove  the  wounded  and  dead.  Several 
wide  blankets  were  joined  strongly  together  at  their  edges, 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  with  sinews  and  thongs. 
Through  each  of  these  sacks  two  long  poles  were  thrust,  to 
be  used  by  the  bearers  as  handles.  A  robe  was  then  thrown 
upon  each  of  the  litters,  and  a  wounded  warrior  placed  gen- 
tly upon  it,  between  the  two  poles.  Those  of  the  wounded 
who  were  able  to  ride,  were  tenderly  placed  upon  horses  se- 
lected for  the  ease  of  their  carriage.  The  bodies  of  the  dead 
warriors  were  rolled  up  in  blankets,  and  bound  carefully 
npon  the  backs  of  such  animals  as  were  accustomed  to  the 
bearing  of  burdens. 

The  body  of  poor  Ka-nee-no  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  few 
mounted  warriors  to  be  carried  to  his  friends  in  the  north. 
So  soon  as  the  necessary  preparations  were  made,  they 


KAH-NEE-TA. 

moved  silently  away  on  their  sorrowful  journey,  and  soon 
passed  out  of  sight  up  the  canon. 

When  they  had  gone  the  warriors  again  mounted  their 
horses  and  moved  slowly  on  down  the  canon.  They  were 
"followed  by  the  wounded  who  were  able  to  ride,  and  then 
by  the  litters,  each  borne  by  four  peons  or  squaws.  The 
other  peons  and  squaws,  hushed  to  silence  by  the  presence  of 
the  dead,  followed  after  with  the  herds. 

As  the  procession  neared  the  village,  a  runner  was  sent 
forward  to  announce  its  approach,  and  to  give  the  names  of 
the  wounded  and  slain. 

The  village  seemed  almost  deserted  when  the  runner 
arrived,  but  the  sad  news  that  he  brought  flew  quickly  about 
from  one  lodge  to  another,  and  a  great  crowd  of  people  soon 
assembled  about  him.  AB  he  proceeded  to  announce  the 
names  of  the  dead,  the  people  stood  waiting  in  silence  and 
in  anxious  suspense  to  learn  who  of  their  number  had  fallen. 
One  name  followed  another  until  the  runner  at  length  ceased 
to  speak,  as  though  he  was  done.  A  great  sigh  of  relief 
escaped  from  the  people,  and  they  murmured  their  thanks 
to  the  Great  Spirit  that  none  of  the  young  men  from  the 
village  had  been  slain.  But  the  runner  held  up  his  hand, 
and  the  people  became  silent  again. 

" One  other/''  he  said  sadly.  "  One  other  is  dead.  Brave 
Tish-me-walla  of  the  village  was  slain." 

The  runner  bowed  his  head  on  his  breast  to  express  his 
great  grief,  and  turning  slowly  about  rode  away  from  the 
crowd.  The  squaw  of  the  brave  Tish-me-walla  wrung  her 
hands  in  despair,  and  bitterly  lamented  the  cruel  fate  of  her 
master.  She  sat  down  on  the  ground  and  swayed  herself  to 
and  fro,  moaning  piteously  the  meanwhile,  overcome  by  her 
grief.  Several  squaws  gathered  around  her  and  attempted 
in  vain  to  console  her  with  words  of  praise  for  her  master. 


KAH-tfEE-TA. 

They  raised  her  at  last  from  the  ground  and  bore  her  away 
to  her  lodge. 

In  the  meantime  the  procession  had  reached  the  end  of 
its  journey  and  had  halted  at  the  edge  of  the  village.  The 
wounded  warriors  were  then  quickly  borne  away  to  their 
lodges,  or  to  those  of  their  friends  in  the  village.  The  body 
of  the  brave  Tish-me-walla  was  removed  from  the  horse  that 
had  borne  it  and  carried  to  the  lodge  where  the  squaw  had 
been  taken,  and  laid  gently  by  her  side  on  the  ground. 

When  this  was  accomplished  a  few  mounted  warriors  were 
placed  in  charge  of  the  other  dead  bodies  to  bear  them  away 
to  their  friends.  They  departed  at  once  to  the  east  and  the 
west  to  search  in  the  valleys  and  canons  for  the  ho-gans  of 
the  dead  comrades  they  carried.  As  soon  as  they  were  gone 
the  warriors  rode  slowly  on  through  the  village,  and  then 
dispersed  to  their  lodges. 

For  three  days  and  three  nights  the  poor  squaw  of  the 
brave  Tish-me-walla,  mourned  the  death  of  her  master. 
She  blackened  her  face  with  charred  sticks  from  the  fire, 
and  threw  ashes  and  dust  on  her  head.  Several  squaws  from 
the  village  came  to  mourn  with  her,  and  kept  up  a  dismal 
wailing  and  moaning  all  the  day  arid  the  night.  The 
favorite  horse  of  the  dead  warrior  was  taken  to  the  moun- 
tains and  killed,  that  his  spirit  might  serve  the  spirit  of  his 
master  on  the  journey  of  the  dead.  The  medicine  man  of 
the  clan  came  often  to  the  lodge,  and  with  solemn  de- 
meanor mumbled  meaningless  words,  and  beat  on  his  drum 
to  keep  the  evil  spirits  away. 

On  the  third  day  in  the  morning  the  peons  and  squaws 

went  away  to  the  forest  and  brought  dry  bushes  and  sticks, 

and  green  branches  of  sweet  smelling  cedar  for  the  funeral  pile. 

The  body  was  then  arranged  in  the  corner  of  the  lodge 

on  a  raised  bed  of  blankets  and  robes,  and  all  the  weapons 


tfAH-INTEE-TA. 

of  a  warrior  were  placed  at  its  side.  Then  the  lodge  was 
filled  up  with  the  bushes  and  sticks  and  the  green  branches 
of  cedar  which  the  squaws  and  the  peons  had  brought,  and 
at  last,  as  the  sun  disappeared  in  the  west,  a  burning  torch 
was  thrust  in  the  midst  of  the  pile. 

The  mourning  all  ceased  when  the  torch  was  applied,  and 
the  great  crowd  of  people  that  had  gathered  stood  silently 
watching  the  flame  as  it  grew.  It  burst  out  at  length  from 
the  top  of  the  lodge  when  the  night  had  come  on,  and  re- 
vealed the  spectral-like  features  and  forms  of  the  people,  in 
its  soft  mellow  light. 

In  the  early  morning,  while  the  fire  yet  smouldered  in  the 
ashes  of  the  funeral  pile,  the  squaw  of  the  dead  Tish-me- 
walla  drove  her  herd  from  the  village,  and  went  her  way  to 
the  mountains,  to  build  her  ho-gan  anew  in  some  quiet 
valley .  far  away  from  the  spot  where  she  had  mourned  her 
bereavement. 

As  the  procession  moved  down  the  canon  from  the  place 
where  the  battle  had  been  fought,  old  Mal-tush-malo  drew 
silently  aside,  and  hid  himself  in  the  forest  by  the  side  of 
the  trail.  When  the  last  herd  had  gone  past  him  and  the 
people  were  all  out  of  sight,  he  came  from  his  concealment 
and  at  once  made  his  way  up  the  canon.  Hurrying  back 
on  the  trail  over  which  the  chief  had  just  passed,  he  ascended 
at  last  to  the  mesa  and  crossed  it  to  the  mountain  beyond. 
Here  the  old  warrior  soon  found  the  tracks  made  by  the 
horse  which  the  Apache  had  ridden,  and  a  short  time  there- 
after he  came  suddenly  upon  the  mysterious  place  where 
the  ground  had  gone  down.  He  stood  still  for  some  time 
and  looked  down  in  the  place  with  great  amazement  and 
wonder. 

For  many  long  years  a  strange  story  of  the  existence  of 
a  deep,  monster  cavern  hid  under  the  mesa,  had  been. 


210  NAH-NEE-TA. 

whispered  all  over  the  nation.  The  people  talked  seldom 
about  it,  for  somehow  or  other  the  impression  had  grown 
that  a  great  evil  creature  that  worked  harm  to  the  nation 
had  made  its  home  in  the  cave.  When  they  spoke  with  each 
other  of  the  mysterious  place,  they  muffled  their  voices  and 
looked  restlessly  about,  lest  their  words  might  invoke  the 
great  evil  they  feared. 

The  marvelous  story  of  the  cavern  had  often  been  bur- 
dened with  still  more  marvelous  accounts  of  the  adventures 
of  a  few  daring  warriors,  who  had  at  one  time  or  another 
found  their  way  all  alone  to  its  dark  and  lonesome  cham- 
bers. 

But,  unfortunately,  a  peculiar  fatality  had  pursued  these 
brave  warriors,  and  they  had  all  speedily  perished  in  one 
way  or  another  with  their  adventures  half  told. 

Once  every  year  many  chiefs  came  together  and  held  a 
long  talk  on  the  mesa,  in  the  presence  of  the  people.  When 
the  talk  was  all  over,  and  the  question  at  issue  had  been 
fairly  discussed,  the  chiefs  had  been  accustomed  to  go  away 
by  themselves  for  a  few  days  of  fasting  and  much  medicine 
making,  among  the  rocks  at  the  base  of  the  mountain. 

Why  this  evil  place  had  been  chosen  for  these  common 
meetings  had  caused  the  people  to  wonder,  and  at  times  had 
given  rise  to  some  strange  speculations.  But  the  wise  med- 
icine men,  always  ready  to  teach  what  they  thought  pleased 
the  chiefs,  shook  their  heads  sagely  and  spoke  of  the  cus- 
toms which  the  chiefs  must  observe.  They  had  always  met 
here  to  talk  with  the  people,  and  to  make  medicine  among 
the  rocks  at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  There  was  no  other 
place  in  all  the  country  of  the  nation,  so  easy  of  access,  where 
the  Great  Spirit  had  shown  such  wonderful  evidence  of  his 
great  power  and  strength.  And,  at  least,  if  the  story  was 
true  that  an  evil  creature  made  its  home  beneath  the  great 


KAH-NEE-TA, 

mesa,  its  power  to  do  evil  things  was  far  a  long  time  re- 
strained, or  entirely  destroyed,  when  the  Great  Spirit  came, 
to  whisper  words  in  the  ears  of  the  chiefs. 

Mal-tush-malo  stood  still  for  some  time,  gazing  down 
where  the  earth  had  fallen  in.  The  place  was  not  large,  and 
not  very  deep.  On  the  side  towards  the  canon,  a  small 
opening  had  been  exposed,  through  which  a  warrior  might 
crawl  on  his  knees.  The  curiosity  of  the  old  man  was  ex- 
cited at  once,  when  he  made  this  discovery,  and  obtaining  a 
long  stick  from  the  forest  near  by,  he  thrust  it  down  in  the 
opening.  To  his  great  surprise  and  alarm,  the  dark  open- 
ing extended  as  far  as  he  could  reach  with  the  stick.  With- 
drawing it  quickly  he  threw  it  aside,  and  hastened  at  once 
to  destroy  all  the  tracks  he  could  find. 

"Mal-tush-malo  knows  nothing,"  he  murmured,  when  he 
had  completed  his  work.  "  His  ears  have  been  closed,  and 
his  eyes  have  been  shut.  All  his  tracks  have  gone  out,  and 
no  one  can  say  that  Mal-tush-malo  knows  the  way  to  the 
cavern." 

He  hastened  back  then,  for  some  distance  on  the  trail  he 
had  come,  and  brushed  out  the  tracks  he  had  made  in  ap- 
proaching the  place.  Then  starting  once  more  anew,  he 
followed  the  broad  trail  of  the  chief  for  some  distance  to  the 
east,  taking  care  as  he  went  to  walk  where  his  tracks  could 
be  seen. 

In  this  evil  place,  from  which  the  old  warrior  now  fled, 
poor  Nah-nee-ta  had  fallen.  Bewildered  by  fear  and  blinded 
by  the  dust,  she  lay  motionless  awhile,  expecting  each  in- 
stant that  some  greater  disaster  would  befall  her.  But  the 
moments  passed  on  without  further  cause  for  alarm,  and 
recovering  at  length  somewhat  from  her  fears,  she  raised  her 
head  from  the  ground,  and  rubbed  the  dust  from  her  eyes. 
As  she  sat  thus  engaged  she  was  startled  by  the  voices  of  the 


212  NAH-HEE-TA. 

Apaches,  and  falling  down  quickly  again  on  the  ground,  she 
crawled  forward  to  make  her  escape  in  the  bushes.  She 
went  on  for  some  time,  quite  surprised  that  the  sunken 
place  was  so  large,  and  that  the  darkness  had  become  so  in- 
tense. She  stopped  at  last  quite  abruptly,  and  raising  her- 
self to  her  feet,  attempted  to  determine  the  proper  course 
for  her  flight.  Appalled  by  the  black  darkness,  she  stretched 
out  her  hands  and  gazed  wildly  about.  Her  eyes  fell  at  last 
upon  a  small  opening,  in  the  direction  from  which  she  had 
come,  through  which  a  faint  light  could  be  seen.  One 
glance  was  enough  to  convince  her  that  she  had  unwittingly 
crawled  through  this  opening,  into  the  great  evil  cavern  be- 
neath the  broad  mesa.  For  a  moment  she  gave  way  to  her 
fears,  and  threw  herself  down  on  the  ground  in  utter  des- 
pair. Gathering  courage  at  last,  she  raised  herself  up,  and 
crawled  back  to  the  opening  with  the  utmost  haste  she 
could  make.  Passing  through  the  narrow  entrance,  she 
found  herself  once  again  at  the  bottom  of  the  place  into 
which  she  had  fallen.  She  paused  for  a  moment  to  listen, 
before  venturing  further.  Then  assured  by  the  silence  that 
the  Apaches  had  gone,  she  sprang  out  of  the  place,  and  fled 
for  concealment  to  the  bushes  that  skirted  the  forest.  Con- 
tinuing her  flight  without  a  moment' s  delay,  she  made  her 
way  blindly  through  the  thick  bushes  and  brambles.  Un- 
conscious of  the  direction  in  which  her  flight  lay,  she  hur- 
ried forward,  with  no  other  purpose  but  to  effect  her  escape 
from  the  dreadful  Apaches,  and  the  still  more  dreadful 
creature  that  lived  in  the  cavern. 

The  sharp  thorns  on  the  bushes  tore  her  face  and  her 
hands,  as  she  pushed  recklessly  onward,  regardless  of  paths 
and  clear  open  places  that  lay  in  her  way.  But  at  last  she 
grew  calmer  and  moved  forward  more  carefully,  avoiding 
the  thick  bushes  as  well  as  she  could  in  the  darkness.  Her 


A.  213 

way  was  now  tortuous,  as  she  ran  here  and  there,  still  intent 
on  escape  and  regardless  of  her  course.  She  came  out  at 
last  on  the  mesa  and  stopped  there  for  a  moment  for  the 
first  time  in  her  flight,  to  consider  what  next  she  should  do. 
It  was  dangerous,  she  reasoned,  to  venture  out  on  the  mesa 
for  the  Apaches  could  then  easily  overtake  her  if  they  came 
in  pursuit.  But  she  remembered  directly  that  the  wild 
beasts  from  the  mountains  often  prowled  in  the  forests  at 
night  and  were  even  less  merciful  than  the  cruel  Apaches. 
Casting  her  eyes  to  the  heavens,  to  determine  her  course  by 
the  stars,  she  started  out  boldly  across  the  great  mesa. 

Some  time  after  daylight  she  came  in  sight  of  the  village, 
and  at  last  reached  the  lodge  of  -.her  ".mother.  Po-lone  sat 
within  engaged  in  gloomy  reflections,  when  the  shadow  of 
the  girl  fell  across  the  doorway.  Raising  her  eyes  quickly, 
she  caught  sight  of  ISTah-nee-ta,  her  face  torn  and  bloody, 
and  her  garments  in  rags.  She  raised  up  her  hands  and 
cried,  " f  Nah-nee-ta  !  "  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  and  then  has- 
tened to  bring  water  to  wash  the  girl's  face.  Nah-nee-ta 
returned  the  warm  greeting  of  her  mother  by  a  ghastly  at- 
tempt at  a  smile,  and  faintly  responded,  "Po-lone." 

That  was  all. 

Then  all  the  affairs  of  the  lodge  went  on  as  before,  and 
as  though  nothing  unusual  had  happened. 

When  Nah-nee-ta  had  taken  some  food  she  sat  down  on  a 
robe  and  spoke  softly  in  the  ears  of  her  mother. 

"  Nah-nee-ta  has  but  few  words  in  her  mouth,"  said  the 
girl.  "The  Apaches  fled  quickly  when  the  horsemen 
rode  down  into  view,  and  leaving  the  trail  in  the  valley, 
they  went  up  the  mountain  in  haste.  Nah-nee-ta  was 
placed  on  the  horse  and  one  of  the  Apaches  held  it  fast  with 
a  rope  and  drew  it  before  him.  At  last  when  the  darkness 
had  come,  the  horse  became  frightened  at  something  before 


214  tfAH-NEE-TA. 

it  and  breaking  loose  from  the  Apache  who  held  it,  ran 
away  down  the  mountain.  ISTah-nee-ta  ^held  on  for  some 
time,  but  at  last  she  fell  off,  and  crawling  quickly  away,  hid 
herself  in  a  hole  until  the  Apaches  had  -'gone.  Then  she 
came  back  in  the  valley  and  followed  the  trail  to  the  village. 
Nah-nee-ta  is  glad.  Her  words  are  all  done/' 

"  Po-lone  too  is  glad/'  said  the  woman,  "  and  the  heart 
of  the  chief  will  be  light  when  he  hears  that  Nah-nee-ta  is 
safe  in  her  lodge. " 

"  The  chief  ! "  cried  the  girl,  with  well  feigned  surprise. 

"  Yea,  the  chief ,"  replied   her  mother,    rather   sharply. 

"Nah-nee-ta  will  be  happy  in  the  lodge  of  the  chief. 
The  peons  will  come  when  she  calls,  and  rich  robes  and 
fine  horses  are  better  than  coarse  blankets,  and  a  herd  yet  to 
grow." 

The  girl  turned  away  to  conceal  her  quick  tears,  and  hid 
her  fair  face  in  her  hands. 

f<  Hey ! "  exclaimed  a  rough  voice  at  the  door  of  the 
lodge,  "are  there  no  words  of  welcome  for  an  old  warrior  in 
the  ho-gan  of  Po-lone  ?  " 

"Yea/5  answered  the  woman,  turning  quickly  towards 
the  door  to  see  who  had  spoken. 

"  The  old  warrior  is  welcome.  Let  him  come  into  the 
lodge  and  sit  down  on  the  robe/' 

"  Mal-tush-malo  is  glad  to  hear  the  kind  words  of  the 
woman/'  he  replied.  " He  has  walked  a  longdistance,  and 
his  feet  have  grown  weary/'  Then  after  a  short  pause,  he 
added  softly :  "  The  chief  sent  him  lout  from  the  sheep 
corral  in  the  canon  to  search  for  the  girl  in  the  mountain/' 

Nah-nee-ta  became  at  once  greatly  alarmed  when  she 
heard  the  last  words  of  the  warrior,  and  turning  quickly  to- 
wards him  fixed  her  gaze  on  his  face.  Some  evil  fate,  she 
believed,  would  most  surely  befall  her  if  her  tracks  had 


KAH-NEE-TA.  315 

been  found  in  the  dust  at  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and  she 
waited  in  anxious  suspense  to  hear  what  more  he  would 
eay. 

"  Mal-tush-malo  can  bear  good  words  to  the  chief,"  he 
continued.  "  The  heart  of  Mariano  will  be  glad  when  he 
hears  that  Nah-nee-ta  is  safe  in  the  lodge  of  her  mother." 

"Why  came  Mal-tush-malo  so  quickly  to  the  lodge?" 
asked  the  woman. 

"  Hey  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  warrior  with  an  air  of  conceit. 
"It  is  easy  to  follow  on  the  trail  of  a  squaw. " 

"Yea,"  said  the  woman,  submissively.  "Where  did 
Mal-tush-malo  find  the  trail  of  the  squaw." 

"In  the  dust,"  he  replied  gravely,  turning  his  stolid  face 
to  the  woman,  and  waiving  his  hand  to  the  north. 

"  Where  ?"  cried  Nah-nee-ta,  in  a  voice  that  betrayed  her 
emotion.  "Where  did  Mal-tush-malo  find  the  trail?  Let 
the  warrior  speak  quick." 

"  Hey  ! "  he  replied  sharply.  "  The  squaw  has  no  patience. 
An  old  warrior  thinks  much  before  he  finds  words  to 
speak." 

"Mal-tush-malo  can  speak  when  he  pleases,"  said  the  wo- 
man. 

"Young  squaws  have  no  patience/'  he  continued.  "Eh  I 
Where  ?  In  the  north.  Mal-tush-malo  found  her  tracks  in 
the  dust,  on  the  great  trail  that  goes  up  the  valley  to  the 
pasture  grounds  of  Me-su-la." 

Nah-nee-ta  gazed  earnestly  in  the  face  of  the  old  warrior, 
in  the  vain  effort  to  detect  some  change  of  expression,  that 
would  reveal  something  more  than  the  words  he  had  spoken. 
But  his  great  fleshy  face  remained  as  blank  and  expression- 
less as  vacancy  itself,  and  gave  no  indication  whatever  to 
guide  her.  She  knew  very  well  that  his  words  were  not 
true,  for  she  had  not  followed  the  great  trail  down  the  val- 


HJLH-NEE-TJL. 

ley  from  the  pasture  grounds  of  Me-su-la.  She  was  grate- 
ful however,  that  his  words  had  confirmed  in  some  measure 
the  short,  evasive  story  she  had  told  to  her  mother. 

She  cast  her  great,  pleading  eyes  on  the  ground,  and  sat 
wondering  what  secret  lay  concealed  behind  the  cautious 
words  of  the  old  warrior. 

' '  Hey  !  "  he  exclaimed  at  length,  in  a  cold,  lifeless  way. 
"  The  flocks  from  the  village  have  gone  up  on  the  mesa,  and 
the  trail  of  Nah-nee-ta  can  be  followed  no  more.  At  one 
place  where  she  stopped  for  a  while,  not  a  track  of  her  foot 
could  be  seen,  when  Mal-tush-malo  turned  his  face  to  the 
east." 

The  girl  raised  her  head  quickly,  and  gazed  again  in  his 
face,  seeking  for  some  confirmation  of  the  hope  which  his 
words  had  awakened.  The  old  warrior  returned  her  earnest 
gaze  for  a  moment,  and  then  closed  his  eyes  tightly,  and 
shut  his  mouth  hard. 

Nah-nee-ta  was  perplexed  for  awhile  to  understand  what 
he  meant,  but  it  occurred  to  her  soon  that  the  old  warrior 
desired  to  inform  her  without  committing  himself,  that  he 
had  discovered  her  tracks  at  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and 
had  kindly  destroyed  them.  There  could  be  no  other 
meaning  of  the  words  and  the  signs  of  the  faithful  old 
man. 

Her  heart  gradually  grew  lighter  as  this  view  became  con- 
firmed, and  a  smile  slowly  gathered  and  drove  the  lines  of 
care  from  her  face.  The  old  warrior  seemed  pleased,  and 
bowed  his  head  once  or  twice,  as  though  he  talked  with  him- 
self, and  then,  raising  up  from  his  seat,  went  slowly  away 
without  speaking  again. 

The  days  now  passed  quickly  away  and  the  people  of  the 
village  became  anxious  at  length  to  hear  from  the  chief.  A 
considerable  time  had  already  elapsed  since  his  departure, 


STAH-NEE-TA. 

and  his  return  was  now  constantly  expected.  Eager  eyes 
watched  the  passes  in  the  mountains,  that  led  the  way  to  the 
south,  to  catch  the  first  glimpse  of  the  runner,  which  the 
chief  would  dispatch  to  announce  his  approach. 

But  the  days  passed  away,  one  after  the  other,  without 
bringing  the  tidings  they  expected,  and  the  people  grew 
weary  with  watching.  They  gathered  in  groups  about  their 
lodge  fires,  when  the  night  had  come  on,  and  shook  their 
heads  gravely  while  they  talked  with  each  other.  Some 
dreadful  disaster,  they  feared,  had  befallen  the  venturesome 
chief,  and  the  Apaches,  emboldened  by  success,  might  appear 
any  moment  in  sight  of  the  village. 

The  principal  warrior  of  the  clan  deemed  it  prudent  at 
last  to  send  a  runner  to  the  head  chief  Barbon-ce-to,  to  in- 
form him  of  the  long  absence  of  the  chief  Mariano,  and  the 
great  alarm  of  his  people.  But  before  the  runner  had  gone 
a  messenger  from  the  chief  galloped  into  the  village  in  the 
gray  of  the  morning,  and  set  all  the  people  at  once  in  com- 
motion by  Iris  whoops  and  his  yells.  They  gathered  hastily 
about  him  to  hear  the  words  he  had  brought.  It  was  evi- 
dent from  the  manner  of  the  messenger,  that  he  bore  them 
good  tidings,  and  the  people  pressed  closely  about  him,  in 
their  anxiety  to  hear  every  word  he  would  say. 

"The  chief  rides  to  the  village  before  the  sun  sets  to- 
day," said  the  messenger.  "  He  followed  the  Apaches  a 
long  way  to  their  lodges,  and  drives  back  a  great  herd  of 
horses.  He  has  captives  and  robes,  and  great  buttons  of 
silver  from  the  lodges  of  the  dogs.  Scalps  hang  at  his  gir- 
dle, how  many,  who  knows  ?  The  chief  led  the  battle  with 
To-me  at  his  side.  The  warriors  are  all  safe,  but  many  are 
wounded,  and  the  chief  must  ride  slow." 

The  messenger  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  continued 
again  with  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  wounded.  When  he 


218  WAH-^EE-TA. 

had  finished  at  last,  he  turned  from  the  crowd  and  rode 
quickly  away  to  his  ho-^-m  in  the  village. 

As  soon  as  he  had  g  ue  the  people  dispersed  and  ran  to 
their  lodges  to  spread  the  good  news,  and  to  hasten  prepara- 
tions for  dances  and  fc-.^ts  in  honor  of  the  arrival  of  the 
chief  and  his  warriors. 

Many  peons  and  squaws  were  dispatched  to  the  forest  as 
.soon  as  it  was  light,  to  bring  to  the  village  dry  bushes  and 
sticks,  and  green  branches  of  cedar,  to  be  burned  in  the 
night  while  the  dances  went  on.  Others  hastened  to  make 
ready  for  the  great  feast  to  be  given  when  the  chief  and  his 
warriors  should  arrive,  and  ground  corn  to  make  bread,  and 
slaughtered  the  finest  kids  that  could  be  found  in  the  flocks. 

While  these  preparations  went  on  the  lazy  lords  of  the 
lodges  busied  themselves  with  their  personal  adornment. 
They  painted  their  swarthy  faces  and  put  on  their  best  gar- 
ments and  girded  themselves  with  white  belts  of  doeskin, 
adorned  with  great  silver  buttons  and  bright-colored  stones. 

At  last  all  was  ready.  Nothing  more  could  be  done. 
There  was  fuel  in  abundance  placed  convenient  for  the  fire, 
and  a  great  feast  prepared  that  would  feed  all  the  clan. 
The  warriors  lounged  about  in  their  gorgeous  attire,  and  all 
waited  for  the  coming  of  the  chief. 


XVI. 

The  day  was  well  gone  when  the  chief  and  his  warriors 
came  into  sight  of  the  village.  As  they  drew  near  it,  a 
small  party  of  braves,  with  the  chief  at  their  head,  rode 
forward  to  make  the  accustomed  triumphal  display.  With 
loud  whoops  and  yells,  they  dashed  through  the  village, 
making  the  semblance  of  an  attack  as  they  went.  Rushing 
hither  and  thither,  from  one  lodge  to  another,  they  feigned 
to  shoot  at  the  people,  or  to  strike  at  those  within  reach, 
with  their  tomahawks  or  knives.  The  people  in  turn  feigned 
the  part  of  Apaches,  and  fled  here  and  there,  with  loud 
cries  of  distress. 

"The  Navajos!  The  Navajos  !"  they  shouted.  "The 
terrible  warriors  from  the  north  have  come  down.  It  is 
useless  to  fight  them.  Elee  !  flee  !  to  the  mountains,  and 
hide  in  the  forest/' 

The  warriors  halted  at  length,  some  distance  beyond  the 
last  lodge  of  the  village,  and  turning  about  returned  slowly 
in  solemn  procession,  to  display  the  choice  trophies  they  had 
taken  in  battle.  As  the  chief  rode  along,  he  took  his  belt 
from  his  person  and  waved  it  slowly  before  him,  to  exhibit 
the  fresh,  gory  scalps  with  which  it  was  adorned. 

Several  warriors  followed  after,  quite  near  to  the  chief,, 
as  the  place  of  the  next  greatest  honor,  and  waved  their 
belts  proudly,  to  display  the  ghastly  scalps  they  had  taken. 
Then  followed  others  less  fortunate  than  their  comrades/ 
bearing  only  bright-colored  blankets  and  heavy,  rich  robes, 
and  great  massive  buttons  of  silver.  The  procession  passed 
on  through  the  village,  and  then  the  warriors  immediately 
galloped  back  to  their  comrades,  whom  they  had  left  with 
the  herds  and  the  wounded. 


220  NAH-NEE-TA. 

The  whole  party  now  once  more  approached,  and  the 
people  en  masse  turned  out  of  the  village,  and  rushed  for- 
ward to  meet  it.  The  wounded  warriors  were  at  once  home 
away  hy  their  friends,  and  carried  tenderly  to  their  lodges, 
and  mounted  peons  sent  out  from  the  village,  drove  the 
captured  herd  to  the  pastures.  The  warriors  of  the  party 
thus  relieved  from  all  care,  dispersed  quickly  to  their  lodges 
or  to  those  of  their  friends. 

But  a  short  time  elapsed  after  the  arrival  of  the  chief  and 
his  warriors,  when  the  feasting  hegan.  Every  lodge  door 
was  open,  and  food  was  served  to  all  coiners,  as  long  as  they 
remained.  But  the  choicest  viands  were  preserved  for  the 
brave  warriors,  who  had  followed  on  the  trail  of  the  Apaches, 
and  who  were  now  slowly  eating  their  way  through  the 
village  from  one  lodge  to  another,  that  no  one  might  be 
slighted. 

Some  limit  might  doubtless  be  found  at  all  times  for  the 
food-taking  powers  of  the  civilized  man,  but  for  these  savage 
people  no  limit  seemed  possible.  The  honored  guests  of 
the  occasion  had  fasted  for  days,  and  now  they  feasted  in 
every  lodge  of  the  village,  to  compensate  for  the  loss.  Not 
formal  feasting  of  small  amounts  here  and  there,  but  great 
earnest  feasting,  such  as  hunger  induces. 

"When  the  darkness  came  on,  an  old  warrior  took  his  seat 
on  the  ground,  near  the  center  of  the  village,  and  began  to 
beat  on  a  drum  as  a  signal  for  the  dancing  to  begin. 

The  people  at  once  flocked  around  him,  and  made  a  great 
fire  with  the  fuel  which  the  squaws  and  the  peons  had 
gathered. 

After  some  time  had  elapsed  a  single  warrior  came  for- 
ward and  took  his  place  near  the  drummer.  He  stood  still 
for  some  time  and  then  threw  off  his  blanket  and  began  to 
move  back  and  forth,  keeping  time  in  his  motions  with  the 


A.  221 

dull,  heavy  blows  of  the  drum.  He  slowly  became  more  ab- 
sorbed in  his  purpose  and  at  length  beat  on  the  ground  with 
his  feet  and  swayed  his  nearly  nude  body  to  and  fro,  with 
increasing  animation.  Then  he  began  a  low  chant,  which 
slowly  increased  in  volume  and  time  until  the  supreme  mo- 
ment had  come,  when  he  suddenly  broke  out  in  the  stiff, 
jerky  motions  of  the  Indian  dance. 

Several  young  warriors  sprang  forward  at  once,  when  this 
consummation  was  reached,  to  join  their  companion.  They 
took  their  places  in  order  one  after  the  other,  in  a  long  sin- 
gle line,  and  began  to  dance  and  to  chant  in  accord  with 
their  leader. 

At  a  signal  from  the  drummer  the  dancers  changed  places 
or  moved  forward  or  backward  in  column  or  line.  Some- 
times they  danced  forward  in  a  long  single  line,  and  then 
followed  each  other  to  the  left  or  right. 

Then  they  moved  to  the  rear  and  turned  all  together  and 
danced  forward  once  more.  They  circled  and  wheeled  and 
advanced  and  retreated  and  moved  in  column  and  line,  with 
quick  measured  motions  and  solemn  demeanor,  until  at 
last  the  drum  ceased  and  ended  the  dance  for  a  time. 

A  few  squaws  hastened  forward  when  the  dance  was  con- 
cluded, and  swept  the  dust  from  the  ground  with  green 
cedar  bushes  and  brooms  made  of  reeds. 

When  they  hiid  completed  their  work,  the  drum  sounded 
again,  and, a  single  warrior  sprang  forward  and  began  the 
dance  as  before. 

Then  other  dances  succeeded,  following  each  other  with 
brief  intermission  and  unvarying  sameness  until  late- in  the 
night. 

The  runner  To-me,  almost  worn  out  by  fatigue  and 
barely  awake,  sat  in  his  place  and  watched  the  dances. 
The  night  had  well  worn  away  when  Che-no,  the  dwarf, 


222  NAH-NEE-TA. 

pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd  and  came  softly  behind 
him  and  pulled  at  his  blanket.  The  runner  turned  quickly 
about  to  see  who  in  the  throng  had  disturbed  him.  His 
gaze  fell  at  once  on  the  troubled  face  of  the  dwarf. 

"  Che-no  would  speak  with  the  warrior/'  he  said  quietly,, 
"but  he  cannot  speak  here." 

"Let  the  dwarf  go  away,"  said  the  runner,  waving  him 
back  with  his  hand.  -  "  Why  should  he  speak  to  To-me  ?"' 

"The  young  squaws  and  the  peons  have  grown  very 
bold,"  said  an  old  warrior  who  sat  by  the  side  of  To-me. 

But  Che-no  would  not  go  away.  He  pulled  again  at  the 
blanket,  and  plead  piteously*  for  permission  to  speak  to 
To-me.  At  last  the  runner  got  up  from  his  seat,  and 
went  away  from  the  people,  closely  followed  by  the  dwarf. 
When  they  had  gone  out  of  sight,  the  runner  stopped  sud- 
denly, and  turning  about,  exclaimed  harshly, 

"  Let  the  peon  speak  quickly/1 

"Nah-nee-ta  has  been  sold,"  said  the  dwarf.  "When 
the  light  comes  again  she  will  go  to  the  lodge  of  the  chief." 

"And  who  bade  the  peon  speak  those  words  to  To-me?" 
he  asked,  sternly. 

"  Che-no  speaks  to  the  warrior  because  the  girl  cries  in 
the  lodge,"  he  said,  sadlyr  "and  the  heart  of  the  peon  is 
heavy." 

To-me  was  much  troubled  at  the  words  of  the  peon,  and 
walked  back  and  forth  with  evident  emotion.  He  had 
feared  from  the  first,  when  Me-su-la  had  informed  him  of 
the  visit  of  the  woman,  that  she  would  succeed  in  her  pur- 
pose, and  eventually  accomplish  what  now  had  occurred. 

"The  medicine  man  spake,"  said  the  peon,  "and  Po-lone 
was  ill-pleased  with  his  words." 

"What  words  did  he  speak  ?"  asked  the  runner. 

"  Che-no  knows  not,  but  the  woman  was  troubled,  and 
held  down  her  head  as  she  rode  on  the  trail." 


XAH-NEE-TA. 


223 


"  Me-ra  ! "  cried  the  runner,  between  his  closed  teeth. 
"They  obey  not  the  customs  of  the  nation.  They  close 
their  ears  to  the  words  they  should  hear.  They  would  steal 
the  girl  now  from  To-me,  if  they  could." 

"  Hist !  "  cried  the  peon,  in  a  whisper.  "  Che-no  hear* 
footsteps." 

"Yea,"  said  the  runner,  absorbed  in  his  thoughts. 
"  Some  one  of  the  people  come  near.  Let  Che-no  now  has- 
ten to  return  to  the  fire  and  sit  down  near  the  woman. 
When  she  comes  to  her  lodge,  Che-no  must  come  on  be- 
fore." 

The  dwarf  hastened  away  and  quickly  disappeared  in  the 
darkness.  As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  the  runner  proceeded  to 
the  lodge  of  the  woman. 

Nah-nee-ta  had  conformed  to  the  custom  of  her  people, 
and  retired  to  the  lodge  of  her  mother,  where  she  waited,  as 
the  custom  required,  for  the  coming  of  her  master.  She  had 
fallen  asleep  on  her  robe  when  To-me  arrived  at  the  lodge, 
but  his  voice  quickly  awakened  her,  and  she  sat  up  on  the 
robe  and  gazed  at  the  runner  in  utter  amazement. 

"  Why  does  Nah-nee-ta  sleep  now  in  her  lodge,"  he  asked 
softly,  "when  all  the  people  watch  the  dancers  at  the 
fire?" 

"  Nah-nee-ta  has  been  sold,"  she  said  sadly,  "and  waits 
for  her  master.-" 

"Then  the  words  of  Me-su-la,  that  Nah-nee-ta  should 
come  to  the  lodge  of  To-me,  were  not  good,"  he  said  bit- 
terly. 

"  Nah-nee-ta  knows  not,"  she  replied. 

"  She  will  be  happy  in  the  lodge  of  the  chief,"  said  the 
runner. 

The  girl  made  no  reply,  but  bowed  down  her  head,  and 
covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 


224  NAH-KEE-TA. 

"  Me-ra  !  "  cried  the  runner,  ' l  Let  Nah-nee-ta  make  ready 
and  ride  with  To-me  to  the  land  of  the  Utes." 

"Nay,"  said  the  girl,  "  Po-lone  would  be  angry." 

"  To-me7 s  horses  are  swift,"  urged  the  runner,  "  and  Nah- 
nee-ta  would  soon  be  far  away  from  the  woman." 

She  made  no  reply,  and  To-me  continued. 

"Let  Nah-nee-ta  speak  quick.  The  dancers  are  weary 
and  Po-lone  will  soon  come  to  her  lodge/' 

"  Nah-nee-ta  will  go,"  said  the  girl,  "Let  To-me  make 
haste  with  the  horses." 

He  sprang  out  of  the  lodge  scarcely  waiting  to  hear  all  her 
words,  and  ran  to  the  corral  for  the  horses.  Unfastening 
them  quickly,  he  led  them  away  as  rapidly  as  possible.  But 
the  animal  he  had  ridden  through  the  village  with  the  chief 
that  day,  could  scarcely  move  forward  at  all.  It  gave  him, 
however,  but  little  concern,  for  the  horse  had  doubtless 
grown  lame  from  hard  over  work,  and  a  few  rapid  steps 
would  drive  the  lameness  away.  He  sprang  on  its  back  and 
forced  it  along,  leading  the  other  "horse  after. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  lodge,  Nah-nee-ta  was  ready  and 
anxiously  awaiting  his  return.  Dismounting  at  once,  he 
raised  her  up  quickly  on  the  back  of  the  horse  which  he  led, 
and  then  mounted  again  on  the  other.  A  moment  there- 
after they  rode  slowly  away  to  the  north. 

They  had  scarcely  accomplished  their  escape  from  the  vil- 
lage, ,when  a  warrior  ran  up  to  the  lodge,  and  glanced  hasti- 
ly within.  Then  darting  back  he  looked  hurriedly  around, 
and  catching  an  indistinct  view  of  the  horses,  as  they  went 
out  of  sight  in  the  darkness,  he  called  quickly. 

"Who  rides?" 

No  answer  came  back  except  the  quick  patter  of  feet,  as 
the  horses  sprang  forward  on  the  trail.  Comprehending  at 
once  what  had  happened,  the  warrior  gazed  for  a  moment 


HAHXNEE-TA.  225 

in  the  direction  in  which  the  horses  had  gone,  and  then 
aroused  all  the  village  by  his  yells.  Several  warriors  came 
running  to  the  lodge,  with  the  chief  at  their  head,  to  learn 
the  cause  of  the  alarm. 

"  Why  does  Mal-tush-malo  frighten  the  people  with  his 
yells?"  asked  the  chief. 

"To-me,  the  runner,  has  ridden  to  the  north  with  the 
daughter  of  Po-lone,"  he  replied,  "  and  Mal-tush-malo  cried 
out  that  the  people  might  know." 

No  one  in  the  village  was  more  surprised  than  the  chief. 
He  had  expected  some  desperate  interference,  and  had  set 
the  old  warrior  Mal-tush-malo  to  watch,  that  it  might  be 
promptly  met  and  defeated.  But  such  a  bold  act  as  this,  in 
violation  of  all  tribal  customs,  had  not  been  deemed  possi- 
ble. The  chief  grew  enraged  as  he  thought  of  the  injury 
thus  done  to  himself,  and  the  bad  name  it  would  bring  on 
his  clan,  and  turning  at  last  to  his  warriors,  he  shouted, 

"Make  ready  to  ride.  The  customs  of  the  nation  have 
been  broken  without  any  cause,  and  the  maiden  which  the 
chief  had  just  bought,  has  been  stolen  from  the  midst  of 
the  clan.  Are  the  warriors  of  Mariano  all  squaws,  whom  no 
one  now  fears,  that  such  a  thing  can  be  done  ?  Make  haste/' 
he  cried  violently,  "make  haste  with  full  quivers,  that  this 
evil  deed  may  be  wiped  out  with  blood." 

The  warriors  hurried  away  to  their  lodges  as  soon  as  the 
chief  ceased  to  speak,  and  sent  their  squaws  in  hot  haste  for 
the  horses.  As  quickly  as  the  animals  could  be  brought 
from  the  corral,  and  made  ready  to  ride,  the  eager  warriors 
sprang  on  their  backs  and  rode  rapidly  away  to  join  their 
companions. 

"Me-ra  !"  cried  the  chief.  "  Let  few  arrows  fly,  lest  the 
girl  may  be  harmed.  Straight  arrows  fly  crooked  sometimes 
in  the  dark." 


226  XAH-NEE-TA. 

Then  turning  his  horse  to  the  north,  he  rode  rapidly  away,, 
followed  closely  by  his  warriors. 

Only  two  routes  existed  over  which  horsemen  could  travel, 
in  journeying  from  the  village  to  the  north.  One  lecfc 
through  the  canon  and  the  other  through  the  pasture  grounds 
of  Me-su-la.  The  chief  galloped  rapidly  forward  until  he 
reached  the  broad  trail  that  branched  off  to  the  left,  and 
ran  up  through  the  canon.  Stopping  here  for  a  moment  to 
examine  the  path,  he  discovered  that  the  runner  had  passed 
on  to  the  north,  by  the  trail  that  led  through  the  pasture- 
grounds  of  Me-su-la. 

The  chief  was  well  pleased  that  the  runner  had  chosen 
this  route.  It  would  be  almost  impossible  for  him  now  to< 
escape  from 'the  mountain-bound  valley  through  which  the 
trail  ran,  and  the  pursuit  could  be  pushed  even  more 
rapidly  than  before.  But  it  was  yet  barely  possible  that  he 
might  turn  to  the  left,  on  the  top  of  the  mesa,  and  go  down  by 
the  trail  to  the  canon  beyond,  and  so  find  his  way  to  the 
great  open  valley,  where  pursuit  would  be  tedious  until  day- 
light had  come.  To  prevent  the  success  of  such  an  attempt, 
the  chief  dispatched  a  few  warriors  to  ride  quickly  through 
the  canon,  and  then  ascend  by  the  trail  to  the  mesa.  As 
soon  as  they  were  gone,  he  continued  the  pursuit,  and  gal- 
loped on  rapidly  to  the  north. 

In  the  meantime  To-me  and  Nah-nee-ta,  fully  aware  of 
their  danger,  hastened  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible.  They 
comprehended  at  once,  when  their  flight  was  discovered,  that 
quick  pursuit  would  be  made,  and  that  their  escape  all  de- 
pended on  the  speed  of  their  horses.  They  had  gone  on  for 
sometime,  and  had  accomplished  a  long  distance,  when  to 
their  utter  dismay,  the  lame  horse  stumbled  forward,  and 
then  stopped  altogether  and  lay  down  on  the  ground.  To- 
me, in  despair,  beat  the  horse  with  his  bow  and  urged  him 


NAH-NEE-TA.  22? 

to  rise,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  The  poor  creature  was  com- 
pletely exhausted,  and  refused  to  get  up  on  its  feet.  After 
much  valuable  time  had  been  lost  in  this  way,  To-me  suddenly 
came  close  to  the  girl,  where  she  sat  on  her  horse,  and  said 
eagerly, 

"Nah-nee-ta  is  wise.  Let  her  hearken  to  the  words  of 
To-me.  One  horse  is  not  enough  to  escape  from  the  war- 
riors. Nah-nee-ta  must  return  to  the  lodge  of  the  woman, 
and  To-me  will  hasten  on  foot  to  escape  in  the  mountain/' 

"Nay,  nay/'  said  the  girl  with  great  earnestness.  "Nah- 
nee-ta  will  go  with  To-me.  She  will  run  after  on  foot,  and 
hide  in  the  mountain,  but  never  go  back  to  Po-lone." 

To-me  stood  undecided  for  a  moment,  and  then  sprang 
up  behind  her,  and  urged  the  horse  forward  once  more. 

Their  progress  was  now  less  rapid  than  before,  and  To- 
me often  sprang  down  on  the  ground,  and  ran  forward  on 
foot,  to  save  the  strength  of  the  horse  for  a  great  final  effort  y 
if  such  should  be  needed.  They  came  at  last  to  the  mesa, 
and  rode  hastily  across  it  to  the  dark  forest  beyond.  As- 
they  approached  near  the  forest,  the  quick  ear  of  the  runner 
caught  the  dull  heavy  tramping  of  horses  feet  on  the  trail, 
some  distance  behind  them. 

"The  warriors  ride  hard/'  he  said  calmly.  "They  are 
not  far  away."  He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  con- 
tinued with  firmness.  "Nah-nee-ta  can  go  no  further. 
To-me  has  done  wrong.  He  has  stolen  Nah-nee-ta  from 
the  lodge  of  her  mother,  and  she  must  return  while  she  can." 

"Nay,  Nay,"  she  replied,  sobbing  piteously  while  she 
spoke.  "  Nah-nee-ta  will  never  go  back.  She  will  follow 
To-me  while  she  lives." 

"  Nah-nee-ta  shall  never  go  back,"  he  replied,  giving  way 
to  her  earnest  appeal.  "  Turn  the  horse  to  the  left,"  he- 
added  quickly,  "and  keep  close  in  the  shadow  of  the 
forest." 


228 

They  galloped  forward  with  greater  speed  than  before, 
and  the  sound  of  the  tramping  was  soon  lost  in  the  dis- 
tance. For  a  brief  period  they  indulged  in  the  hope  that 
their  pursuers  had  gone  on  to  the  north,  and  that  much  val- 
uable time  would  be  gained  before  their  trail  could  be  found. 
But  this  cheering  hope  had  scarcely  been  awakened,  when 
the  dull,  heavy  tramping  once  more  could  be  heard,  some 
distance  behind  them.  It  gradually  came  nearer,  and  grew 
more  distinct,  until  at  last  it  seemed  almost  upon  them. 
But  To-me  still  boldly  pushed  forward  hoping  yet  to  be  able 
to  get  down  in  the  canon,  and  escape  to  the  valley. 

He  had  scarcely  gone  past  the  great  rocks  where  the 
chiefs  came  at  times  to  make  medicine  together,  when  sev- 
eral mounted  warriors  came  suddenly  in  view,  a  short  dis- 
tance before  him.  With  loud  yells  of  triumph,  and  arrows 
poised  on  their  bows,  they  rushed  instantly  forward  towards 
him.  The  loud  yells  of  the  warriors,  and  the  rushing  of 
ihe  horses,  appalled  the  stout  heart  of  Nah-nee-ta,  and 
rudely  crushed  out  her  last  hope  of  escape.  She  dropped 
the  reins  from  her  hands  and  fell  helpless  in  the  arms  of 
To-me.  The  horse  reared  on  its  haunches,  and,  turning 
quickly  about,  fled  in  terror  before  its  pursuers.  To-me 
seized  the  reins  and  attempted  in  vain  to  direct  the  course 
of  its  flight.  It  ran  forward  blindly,  bewildered  by  fear 
and  at  last  dashed  through  the  opening  between  the  great 
rocks,  and  fell  headlong  in  the  place  that  had  sunk  beneath 
the  horse  of  the  Apaches.  It  struggled  at  once  to  its  feet 
and  springing  out  of  the  hole,  galloped  madly  away  through 
the  bushes. 

To-me  clung  to  his  seat  until  the  horse  had  fallen  down, 
and  then  sprang  from  its  back  with  the  girl  in  his  arms. 
Apprehending  some  danger  from  the  struggles  of  the  animal 
in  its  attempts  to  get  up,  he  hastily  drew  back  and  crouched 


KAH-^EE-TA.  229 

down  on  the  ground.  As  his  pursuers  came  nearer  he  drew 
further  back,  to  hide  in  the  dense  darkness  behind  him. 

Nah-nee-ta  recovered  slowly  from  the  deadly  stupor  into 
which  she  had  fallen,  and  some  time  had  elapsed  before  she 
was  fully  restored.  Then  recalling  at  once  the  cause  of  her 
terror,  she  sprang  on  her  knees,  and  attempted  to  look  about 
her. 

" Where  are  they,  To-me?"  she  cried,  loudly.  "The 
warriors  !  Where  are  they  ?" 

" Hist  \"  he  answered  hurriedly.  "They  are  not  far 
away, and  Nah-nee-ta  speaks  loud." 

"It  is  dark,"  she  whispered  nervously,  "  and  the  stars 
have  gone  out.  Where  has  To-me  hid  now  from  the  light?" 

"  To-me  knows  not, "  he  replied.  "The  horse  ran  be- 
tween the  great  rocks,  and  fell  down  in  a  hole,  and  To-me 
crawled  quickly  in  the  darkness,  to  hide  from  the  warriors. M 

"  Me-ra  ! "  cried  the  girl,  and  seizing  the  hand  of  the 
runner,  she  held  it  towards  a  small  opening,  through  which  a 
faint  light  could  be  seen.  "Me-ra  I"  she  cried  with  great 
earnestness.  "  To-me  has  crawled  into  the  cavern,  beneath 
the  great  mesa." 

He  raised  quickly  to  his  feet,  and  held  up  his  hand  un- 
til it  touched  the  cold  stone  overhead. 

"  Yea,"  he  said  quietly,  as  he  sat  down  by  her  side.  "To- 
me has  crawled  into  the  cavern.  The  Great  Spirit  is  good." 

"  Nay,  nay,"  she  replied,  much  excited.  "An  evil  thing 
lives  in  the  cavern.  Let  To-me  make  haste  to  escape." 

"  Me-ra,"  he  said  softly.  "To-me  wears  a  charm  that 
the  medicine  man  gave  him.  Evil  things  that  come  near  it, 
are  turned  into  stone.  The  warriors  search  now  in  the 
bushes,  and  on  the  mountain,  and  To-me  must  stay  where 
he  is,  until  they  have  all  gone  away." 

Assured  by  these  confident  words  of  the  runner,  Nah-nee- 
ta  sat  clown,  and  rested  her  head  on  his  shoulder.  With 


230 

most  wonderful  condescension  on  the  part  of  a  warrior,  he 
permitted  this  act  of  affection,  and  softly  stroked  her  dark 
hair  with  his  hand.  They  sat  thus  together,  awaiting  with 
patience  what  the  future  might  bring,  supremely  indifferent, 
apparently,  to  what  it  might  be. 

At  last  the  day  dawned,  and  the  light  slowly  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  cavern.  To-me  arose  to  his  feet  when  he 
caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  objects  about  him,  and  feel- 
ing before  him  on  the  ground  with  his  bow,  moved  slowly 
back  in  the  cavern. 

"Where  does  To-me  go  now?"  asked  the  girl,  as  she 
moved  on  at  his  side. 

"  To  find  some  other  opening,  if  possible/'  he  replied, 
"that  goes  out  of  the  cavern." 

They  moved  on  for  some  time,  groping  their  way  through 
the  darkness,  until  they  grew  weary  and  almost  discouraged 
from  further  attempt.  But  at  length  they  caught  sight  of 
a  faint  glimmer  of  light  in  the  distance  before  them,  and  at 
once  hastened  forward  towards  it,  overjoyed  to  escape  from 
the  death-like  embrace  of  the  darkness.  Gazing  upward  at 
the  rocky  roof  overhead,  they  observed  a  narrow  fissure 
through  which  the  light  streamed. 

To-me  stopped  in  surprise  when  he  emerged  from  the 
darkness,  scarcely  able  to  believe  that  the  narrow  passage 
before  him  could  possibly  be  the  great  cavern  of  the 
stories  and  the  legends  of  his  people.  It  was  scarcely  wider 
than  twice  the  length  of  his  bow,  and  the  roof  was  almost 
within  reach  of  his  hand.  He  looked  with  curious  care  on 
the  walls,  and  traced  with  his  finger  deep  lines  that  seemed 
worn  by  swift  running  water.  He  went  on  a  short  distance 
further,  and  then  stopped  abruptly  before  a  narrow  fissure, 
filled  with  a  dull,  greyish  substance  from  which  portions 
had  been  broken  and  carried  away.  As  he  traced  the  nar- 


NAH-NEE-TA. 

row  fissure  from  the  roof  to  the  floor,  his  eyes  fell  at  last 
upon  a  sharp  iron  bar  with  a  hole  in  the  center,  through 
which  a  long  wooden  handle  had  been  thrust.  He  had  seen 
such  a  thing  once  before  in  the  hands  of  some  Mexican 
traders,  who  had  come  to  exchange  their  wares  with  his 
people.  Comprehending  its  purpose,  he  seized  it  at  once, 
and  struck  the  sharp  point  in  the  substance,  and  broke  out 
a  piece  from  the  mass. 

"What  has  To-me  found  now?"  asked  the  girl,  much 
surprised. 

"  The  evil  thing,"  he  said  quickly,  "that  lives  in  the 
cavern." 

"  It  has  turned  into  stone  when  the  charm  has  come  near 
it,"  she  said  anxiously. 

"  Yea,"  he  replied.  "  It  has  turned  into  stone.  To-me 
knows  now,"  he  earnestly  continued.  "To-me  knows  now, 
why  the  chiefs  come  so  often  to  make  medicine  in  the  rocks, 
and  why  their  herds  are  so  large,  and  their  great  silver 
buttons  so  plenty.  It  is  silver,  Nah-nee-ta." 

He  threw  down  the  pick  with  a  great  show  of  anger,  and 
moved  on  again  in  the  darkness,  with  the  girl  close  behind 
him.  They  had  gone  on  for  some  time,  when  again  a  faint 
glimmer  of  light  could  be  seen.  It  increased  as  they  ad- 
vanced, until  at  last  the  whole  cavern  opened  out  to  the 
light. 

As  they  came  near  to  the  opening,  To-me  motioned  to  the 
girl  with  his  hand,  to  stop  where  she  stood,  and  falling 
down  on  his  face,  he  crawled  cautiously  forward.  At  first 
his  gaze  fell  on  the  ragged  face  of  a  mountain  some  distance 
beyond,  but  as  he  drew  nearer  it  swept  slowly  down  and 
rested  at  last  in  the  canon  Bo-neet.  Many  people  from  the 
village  had  gathered  in  the  canon,  and  the  murmur  of  their 
voices  reached  the  ear  of  the  runner.  Several  warriors  had 


232  XAH-XEE-TA. 

crowded  upon  the  rocks,  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and 
stood  with  poised  arrows,  watching  intently  at  the  mouth 
of  the  cavern.  He  lay  for  sometime  curiously  watching  the 
scene,  and  coolly  counting  the  warriors  who  stood  ready  to 
shoot. 

At  last  the  girl  grew  impatient  at  the  delay  of  the  runner, 
and  stepped  noiselessly  forward  and  stood  in  full  view  in  the 
opening  and  gazed  down  in  the  canon.  Wild  yells  of 
triumph  rang  at  once  through  the  air,  and  many  cruel 
arrows  whizzed  mercilessly  into  the  opening.  With  a  loud 
scream  of  terror,  Kah-nee-ta  loosed  her  hold  on  the  wall,  and 
turned  quickly  about  to  escape  in  the  cavern.  As  she  turned 
on  the  smooth  water- worn  rocks,  her  foothold  gave  way 
and  she  fell  on  her  face.  To-me  sprang  to  his  feet  and 
seized  hold  of  her  blanket,  but  it  gave  way  in  his  hands, 
and  she  went  instantly  over,  and  fell  through  the  air  to  the 
bottom  of  the  cavern. 

Horror-stricken  and  bewildered,  To-me  stood  for  a  moment 
like  one  in  a  dream,  before  he  was  able  to  comprehend  fully 
the  terrible  event  that  had  happened.  Then,  almost  crazed 
by  his  grief,  he  resolved  quickly  to  spring  after  the  girl,  and 
meet  his  fate  at  her  side.  He  paused  for  an  instant, 
diverted  from  his  purpose  by  the  loud  cries  of  the  people, 
and  falling  once  more  on  the  floor  of  the  cavern,  he  crawled 
to  the  edge,  and  looked  down  in  the  canon.  The  squaws 
were  already  bearing  the  body  away,  and  the  warriors  still 
stood  in  their  places,  with  arrows  poised  ready  to  shoot. 

A  change  slowly  came  over  the  face  of  the  runner  as  he  lay 
watching  the  warriors  who  sought  for  his  life. 

"They  are  dogs/'  he  murmured  bitterly.  "They  have 
killed  the  poor  maiden,  and  wait  now  with  their  arrows  to 
shoot  at  To-me." 

Rising  quickly  to  his  feet,  he  uttered  a  wild  yell,  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  cavern.  The  warriors  answered  his  yell 


N'AH-N'BE-TA.  233 

with  their  arrows,  and  comprehending  his  desperate  purpose 
they  hastened  at  once  by  the  nearest  trail  up  the  great  wall 
to  the  top  of  the  mesa. 

All  the  warriors  except  one,  and  all  the  people  of  the 
village,  who  had  come  out  in  the  morning,  had  been  sent  by 
the  chief  to  the  canon.  He  alone  with  old  Mal-tush-malo, 
guarded  the  opening  to  the  cavern  between  the  great  rocks. 

When  the  warriors  reached  the  mesa,  they  ran  with  great 
speed  to  the  mountain,  and  dashed  through  the  bushes  with 
breathless  haste  to  the  opening.  But  the  last  struggle  was 
over  before  they  arrived,  and  To-me  sorely  wounded,  had 
escaped  to  the  mountain.  Old  Mal-tush-malo  lay  dead  on 
the  ground  with  an  arrow  in  his  heart,  and  the  chief,  pale  and 
bleeding  from  the  wounds  of  a  knife,  lay  helpless  by  his 
side. 

Several  warriors  at  once  started  in  pursuit  of  To-me,  and 
followed  his  trail  across  the  great  mountain  to  the  pasture 
grounds  of  Me-su-la,  and  then  far  away  to  the  east,  where 
they  lost  it  at  last  in  a  wild,  rocky  canon. 

As  soon  as  the  pursuers  were  gone  out  of  sight,  the  chief 
bade  his  warriors  bring  stones  to  the  opening,  and  fill  it  up 
to  the  top,  that  no  one  might  enter  the  evil  place  any  more. 


XVII. 

The  years  slowly  succeeded  eacli  otlier  after  these  tragic 
events  had  occurred,  and  no  tidings  ever  came  from  To-me. 

A  vague  rumor,  it /is  true,  found  ready  credence  with  the 
people  after  several  years  had  elapsed,  that  he  had  made 
his  home  with  the  Comanches,  and  had  become  a  great  chief. 

Many  changes  in  the  meantime  had  taken  place  in  the* 
nation. 

The  clan  of  Mariano  had  grown  great  and  rich,  and  made 
lasting  peace  with  its  neighbors. 

Mexican  traders  at  times  pitched  their  camps  near  the 
border,  and  traded  in  safety  with  the  people. 

At  last  one  bolder  than  the  others,  ventured  across  the 
vague  line,  and  journeyed  slowly  along  on  the  bank  of  the 
Puerco.  He  was  permitted  to  advance  until  he  came  near 
the  village,  when  a  runner  from  the  chief  bade  him  stop 
where  he  was. 

The  anxious  people  soon  nocked  in  a  great  crowd  about 
him  to  examine  the  wonderful  things  he  had  brought  to  ex- 
change for  their  blankets  and  silver.  They  feasted  their 
eyes  on  the  bright -colored  beads  and  the  curious  tools 
made  of  iron  and  the  shining  trinkets  of  brass,  which  he 
quickly  displayed  to  their  view. 

He  was  accompanied  by  a  Ute,  who  had  lived  for  some- 
time with  one  of  the  great  clans  in  the  north,  and  who  had 
joined  him  a  few  days  before.  The  Ute  had  fought  lately 
in  a  desperate  battle  somewhere,  and  had  received  a  great 
wound  from  a  knife  on  the  side  of  his  face.  A  broad  band- 
age of  buckskin,  yet  bloody  from  the  wound,  was  bound  on 
his  head,  and  partially  concealed  his  features  from  view. 


ST  AH-tfEE-TA.  235 

At  times  he  made  answer  to  the  questions  that  were  asked 
him,  but  his  speech  was  much  labored  and  his  words  in- 
distinct by  reason  of  his  wound. 

Among  the  last  from  the  village  came  the  woman  Po- 
lone,  and  joining  with  the  crowd,  she  stood  looking  at  the 
tempting  wares  of  the  trader.  Her  eyes  fell  at  last  on  the 
irte,  and  she  quickly  asked  who  he  was. 

"Some  vagabond  lite,"  said  a  voice,  "who  has  followed 
the  trader  to  the  village." 

She  watched  him  attentively  for  awhile,  and  then  turned 
away  with  a  sigh.  There  was  something  in  the  manner  of 
the  poor  .ragged  creature  that  awakened  sad  memories  of  the 
past.  But  who  he  might  be,  or  why  his  presence  recalled 
these  sad  things,  she  could  not  even  conjecture.  Unable  to 
control  her  sad  thoughts,  she  returned  soon  again  to  the 
place  where  he  stood.  She  heard  him  speak  as  she  ap- 
proached, and  at  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  troubled  ex- 
pression passed  at  once  from  her  face.  Hurrying  quickly 
to  his  side,  she  waited  impatiently  until  no  one  observed 
her,  and  then  whispered  softly, 

"Po-lone  hears  the  voice  of  To-me." 

"  What  means  the  strange  words  of  the  squaw?"  he  asked 
hoarsely. 

"  To-me  "knows,"  she  replied.  "Po-lone  has  grown  very 
weary  with  her  long  years  of  waiting,"  she  continued,  "but 
her  heart  is  glad  now,  because  To-me  has  come." 

"In  the  nation  of  the  Comanches,"  he  said  slowly,  "a 
warrior  called  To-me  has  become  a  great  chief .  Does  the' 
woman  speak  now  of  the  chief  of  the  Comanches  ?" 

"To-me  knows,"  she  replied,  and  then  asked  very  softly. 
"Does  the  chief  ever  wish  for  Po-lone  in  his  lodge  ?" 

"Yea,"  he  answered  quickly,  " To-me' s  heart  will  be 
glad  when  Po-lone  comes  to  his  lodge." 


236  KAH-tfEE-TA. 

The  village  moved  often  from  one  place  to  another  in 
search  of  new  pastures  for  the  herds,  and  now  delayed  only 
until  the  trader  was  gone  to  move  on  again. 

As  the  day  wore  away  Po-lone  rode  from  her  lodge  to 
visit  the  grounds  which  the  chief  had  selected  for  the  new 
village  site.  She  was  followed  by  Che-no,  the  dwarf,  carry- 
ing blankets  and  robes  and  some  food  from  the  lodge,  to 
provide  for  the  night  if  a  delay  should  occur. 

When  the  sun  had  gone  down,  the  trader  packed  up  his 
wares,  and  the  people  returned  slowly  to  their  homes  in  the 
village.  As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  the  vagabond  Ute  set 
out  for  the  north,  to  return  to  his  people.  When  he  was 
well  out  of  sight,  he  tore  the  bandage  from  his  face,  and 
changing  his  course  followed  after  the  woman. 

He  found  her  at  last,  and  the  two  rode  away  followed  by 
the  dwarf,  and  were  never  heard  of  again  in  the  nation.  But 
the  story  still  lives  in  the  lodges  of  the  clans,  how  To-me, 
the  runner,  came  back  in  disguise  and  stole  the  woman  from 
the  village  while  the  chief  Mariano  exchanged  his  robes  with 
the  trader. 


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